Parks Project 

Copy: Kira Chick

Art: Gena Lazarev

Insight: When exact geotags for National Park trails and overlooks go viral, there are sudden surges of visitors that damage ecosystems and turn once-hidden gems into photo-op destinations.

Idea: To expose the issue, we partnered with large-scale installation artist, Olafur Eliasson, to place a living trail in the middle of New York City. We then invited people to trample vegetation, litter, and tag the exact location, inviting their friends to come do the same. We then revealed the before and after to show how overexposure leads to destruction.

To move beyond awareness, we also introduced an Instagram feature that replaces precise trail geotags with broader labels like “Somewhere at Acadia,” reducing harmful tagging and encouraging people to experience nature rather than chase content.

Instagram feature

In the Yosemite Visitor Center, we installed an interactive digital exhibit where pristine trails are gradually destroyed as visitors walk through, with geotags spreading across the walls in real time.

We also established No-Tag Zones in the park’s most fragile ecosystems.

We meet again.