Rock'N'Walk, the new app developed by the Geosciences College of UniLaSalle Beauvais, takes you on a hike to discover geological landscapes. Free, fun, and educational, it is available on iOS and Android.
Rock'N'Walk, the new free mobile app developed by the Geosciences College at UniLaSalle Beauvais, now available on iOS and Android, offers a walking experience unlike any other. Halfway between an adventure playground and a study ground, the app invites users to discover landscapes in a new way: by walking, observing, and understanding.
An app born in the collections... and designed for the general public
The story begins behind the scenes at the Albert-de-Lapparent Museum. Since 2018, this virtual museum has showcased more than 4,000 geological specimens from the UniLaSalle collections. But the idea quickly took root to take this knowledge outside the walls, into the field, where rocks reveal themselves and tell their story.
This ambition gave rise to Rock'N'Walk: an app that combines geolocation, educational content, walking tours and Earth science. Users can explore geological trails marked with points of interest (outcrops, panoramas, curiosities), enriched with accessible texts, sounds, videos and interactive quizzes.
A collective, scientific, and supported project
Behind Rock'N'Walk is a whole team of people: teacher-researchers, geoscience students, educational engineers, communications officers, and more. They are all committed to providing rigorous, engaging content that is suitable for all audiences, from middle school students to Sunday hikers.
The project has also received support from the Hauts-de-France region, the Oise department, ERDF funds, and a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule, which helped get the community involved from the outset.
Trails already available... with many more to come
Today, around fifteen trails are already accessible via the app, mainly concentrated in northwestern France. But Rock'N'Walk has also set up shop in the Alpes de Haute-Provence, Scotland, and even Catalonia. It's a way of opening up the field... internationally!
And this is just the beginning. Other trails will be added to the app on a regular basis, with a third phase of development focused on participatory science in the pipeline: in the future, everyone will be able to suggest their own geological itineraries and contribute to the shared database.
Whether you're a trail enthusiast, geology buff, teacher, or just a curious walker, Rock'N'Walk is your new hiking companion.
Download the app now:
