Augmented reality (AR) is an emergent technology beginning to be integrated into many disciplines such as engineering, architecture, and medical fields for educational purposes. The present study builds on a pilot study conducted in the spring of 2022 exploring how AR can be employed in Environmental Education (EE) by providing just-in-time information in context to aid user perception of both the interrelationships present among all members of the place being explored and the environmental issues being faced by that same community. An AR trail experience located in the Sonoran Desert of the Southwest United States was created using the tenets of place-responsive design while drawing on principles from place-based education, critical place inquiry, and the importance of play in learning. Sixteen participants including undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Arizona, some of which were preservice teachers, took part in the AR trail experience guided by a digital javelina where they interacted with activities anchored to GPS coordinates in a choice-based manner. They also collected digital ARtifacts in the experience such as photos, videos, and written responses that were then used to provoke reflective thinking and connections to the ARtifacts others have captured. Semi-structured interviews were conducted later and combined with the digital artifacts along with footage from video glasses worn during the experience to construct themes through reflexive thematic analysis and critical incident reflection of the engagement and interactions taking place in the liminal space between virtual and embodied learning. These themes will aid in exploring the types of connections fostered using AR in the EE context. The study adds to the literature through an examination of these interactions and exploring the implications they have for the use of AR in EE as well as serving as a model for other such experiences. Findings include the use of AR engaged learners in a close reading of place, fostered the enactment of a slow pedagogy of place, and led to broader, deeper, and more nuanced collaboration than previously reported in the literature. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]