LoGaCulture took the spotlight at SciComPT 2025, Portugal’s largest science communication conference, where 175 science communicators came together to explore the future of public engagement with science. The research collective from the LoGaCulture project, with teams based in Lisbon and Funchal, presented a trio of thought-provoking activities that blended design, ecology, technology, and education, reinforcing their commitment to rethinking how we connect with the natural world.
Re-enchanting nature through technology: A talk on embodied pedagogies
In a captivating 10-minute talk titled “Nature HCI: Embodied Pedagogies for Re-enchanted Nature Walks,” LoGaCulture researcher Pedro Ferreira delved into their research on how digital tools can enrich nature walks (based on a research paper recently presented and published at the Nineteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (TEI’25), which took place in Bordeaux, France, in March 2025). Rather than treating technology as separate from the natural world, the team proposed an “organic pedagogy” — an approach that listens to the body, imagination, and more-than-human actors. Ferreira highlighted how designing with, rather than for, nature can support reparative forms of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) that help mend our strained relationship with the environment. The talk offered a glimpse into how interactive, embodied technologies might make nature walks spaces of renewed wonder and learning.
Hands-on with more-than-human interactions: An interactive demonstration
The team also hosted an interactive demonstration, “Interações Mais-que-Humanas: Tecnologias Interativas para Envolvimento com a Natureza” (“More-than-Human Interactions: Interactive Technologies for Engagement with Nature”), where participants explored how technology can foster meaningful engagement with more-than-human entities — from plants to geologic systems. Attendees interacted with AI-driven dialogues that mimicked communication with natural beings and played a digital game focused on Madeira’s biodiversity. The demo invited science communicators to reflect on symbiosis between ecology and tech, offering tools and concepts that bridge audiences with cultural and natural heritage in playful, reflective ways.
Rethinking public engagement through interactive tech: A round-table
LoGaCulture rounded off their presence with a lively round-table discussion on “How Can Interactive Technologies Help Public Engagement with Science?” Bringing together four of ITI’s researchers — Pedro Ferreira, Marta Ferreira, Mara Dionísio, and Paulo Nascimento — the panel explored how immersive technologies, inclusive design, and digital storytelling can democratize science communication. With a strong focus on environmental themes, the discussion raised critical questions around accessibility, cultural perspectives, and ethics in interactive science communication. The round table emphasized the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in creating inclusive futures for public science.
A call for more-than-human imagination in science communication
LoGaCulture’s contributions at SciComPT 2025 illustrated how digital innovation can be deeply ecological, inclusive, and imaginative. Their work continues to inspire new possibilities for engaging diverse publics with science — not only as information, but as lived, felt, and shared experience.