by Sarah Blair, Ohio State Parks

For so many of us, one of our greatest pleasures is traveling down the bike path or floating down the waters of Little Miami State Park. As we soak up the sunshine, we observe the wildlife that surrounds us. We watch the ospreys, the bald eagles, the herons, the kingfishers and countless others above us. We watch the turtles sunbathing on the banks, and the fish darting along under the surface. What you might not know is that there is a hidden treasure quietly residing among the trees along the banks. Nestled into the shade this summer, there will be bats tucked up under the loose bark of living, dying, and even dead trees.

The 52 miles of our park have been used for years for hiking, biking, walking, birding, etc., but did you know there is an electronic battle going on right under our noses? We know about GeoCaching where small Tupperware containers of trinkets have been hidden in the woods alongside the trail, and people use maps, compasses, and GPS coordinates to find the treasures. But, now the trail is involved in an international computer game of Capture the Flag with thousands of players!

Have you seen people running or biking up the trail, stopping, typing something in their phone, and then scurrying on? They are involved in a complex computer game called "Ingress," a sophisticated game that entails defending, capturing, and maintaining "portals" which allow "exotic matter" or "XM" into our universe. As in Capture the Flag games, there are two teams. The green team (called the "Enlightened Team") believes the XM is good for the Earth, while the Blue team (the "Resistance") believes the XM is bad for the Earth. Portals can be any public landmarks-historical markers, sculptures, or other points of interest in parks, museums, and cities all around the world. Our Little Miami State Park contains many of these features which have been designated as portals. . . .
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