Smart way to learn about town's water (From Malvern Gazette)

Smart way to learn about town's water

1:40pm Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News

MOBILE technology is being used to create a discovery trail for visitors who want to find out more about Malvern water.

The Friends of Malvern Springs and Wells are busy creating the new trail around the town’s dozens of springs and wells, using QR codes which can be scanned by smartphones.

Users will then be taken to the Friends’ website, where details of the water features are displayed.

Cora Weaver, of the Friends, hopes to keep adding more water features to the project.

“Many of the springs and wells are on land that is privately owned and we are now recruiting owner participation in the Discovery Trail project,”

she explained. “We can supply outdoor QR panels free of charge.

“We suggest mounting the codes on weatherproofed timber posts, which we can supply if necessary. As many of the springs and wells sites are heritage features, the posts will avoid damage.”

The Friends of Malvern Springs and Wells website is now fully operational and has details of more than 130 individual water features.

The data is based on 20 years of desk and field research and is continually being updated as more facts emerge.

The website is intended to complement information in the Friends’ book Celebrated Springs of the Malvern Hills.