Milaneta Project: Gamification and Environmental Education for Red Kite Conservation in Aragón (Spain)
Alberto Montero Modrego
ABSTRACT
Proyecto Milaneta is an educational board game that recreates the conservation challenges faced by the red kite (Milvus milvus) in Aragon, Spain. The game mirrors the regional captive breeding program, where players represent released red kites attempting to reach various protected natural areas while facing realistic threats including wind turbine collisions, poisoning, power lines.
Developed over two years with scientific supervision from Aragon Government biodiversity technicians and veterinary expert María Cortés, the project involved numerous Aragonese artists and partnerships with major conservation organizations including SEO/BirdLife, FCQ, AMUS, and the LIFE EUROKITE Project.
The game offers competitive and cooperative modes, requiring strategic decisions using "fortune cards" (representing conservation measures) or chance (dice rolls) to overcome threats. This mechanic effectively communicates real conservation dilemmas to players aged 10 and above, nature enthusiasts, and families.
One hundred copies were acquired by the Aragon Nature Protection Council for distribution in public libraries. An English version is in development for international distribution through the LIFE EUROKITE Project.
A unique feature of the project is its direct connection to the actual conservation program. One red kite released in 2025 was named through a participatory voting process on Proyecto Milaneta's Instagram profile. The bird, named "Onza" (referencing the chocolate making tradition of Benabarre, the municipality where it was found), was released on October 28, 2025, and is equipped with a GPS transmitter allowing real-time tracking of its movements across Aragon.
Red kite conservation requires actions at multiple scales, but also needs an informed, sensitized society emotionally connected to the species. Proyecto Milaneta demonstrates that gamification can be a powerful environmental education tool, enabling players to experience conservation challenges firsthand, understand the complexity of threats and solutions, and value the work of administrations and conservation entities.
