Grow an AR Garden at New York’s Newtown Creek Nature Walk 

Augmented reality is grounded in the real world, and now, it can reveal more about what’s planted in the ground too. 

New Yorkers and visitors alike can now discover more about the world around them through AR while visiting the Newtown Creek Nature Walk, a waterfront promenade richly planted with native trees, shrubs, and flora in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood. 

Botanica is a new AR experience that allows visitors of the Newtown Creek Nature Walk to learn about more than 25 native flowers and plants found in the local ecosystem by growing an AR garden with friends. 

Visitors can access Botanica by scanning the Snapcode at the entrance of the Newtown Creek Nature Walk. Up to five friends can play in the same Lens, whether they’re all physically together at the Nature Walk or elsewhere in the world. In Botanica, friends select a flower bed, place it in the physical environment, and pollinate each others’ flower beds with simple taps. When the flowers bloom, they reveal their names and care tips through a fact card. 

Brought to life by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the Newtown Creek Alliance, and Snap, Botanica was built by New York-based Snap Lens Network partner QReal through Lens Studio. 

Botanica is one of the first Lenses to leverage Lens Cloud’s new Remote Assets service, extending the file size of the Lens for more robust and compelling AR experiences. 

We’re excited about the power of our AR technology to enhance and explore the natural beauty of the Newtown Creek Nature Walk.