With a phone at your fingertips, the world is your oyster, or hoopoe, or oak tree. It’s now possible to identify everything from mystery animal tracks to elusive birdsong via an app. Beyond that, your sightings could contribute valuable information to scientific studies and conservation efforts around the globe. While phones often get the blame for distracting users from their physical environment, technology can also be a way to connect with the natural world. Here’s how.
Seek
Perfect for curious kids who are keen to categorise the different plants, animals and fungi they come across: take photos with your phone and Seek’s artificial intelligence will identify the species and outline some key facts. Depending on your region, the app will suggest common species to look out for and set you themed challenges throughout the year so you can look for everything from decomposers to urban nature or pond critters and pollinators. For older children and adults, the flagship iNaturalist app opens up access to a global community that can confirm logged observations – and is a great tool for local bioblitz surveys.
Free. iOS and Android
ChirpOMatic
Identify songbirds – in this case the Magnolia Warbler – with ChirpOMaticDo you love hearing the dawn chorus but have no idea what is singing? Or wish you could tell the difference between the call of a bunting and a blackbird? Listen to a soundscape with ChirpOMatic and all will be revealed. On iPhones, ChirpOMatic also has “bird-safe mode” – by holding your phone to your ear and listening to the app like you would a phone call, you won’t risk disturbing nesting or breeding birds with confusing calls when playing back a recording. Designed by scientists, this simple-to-use birdsong-recognition app has versions covering western Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Australia.
£3.99. iOS and Android
Animal Tracker
Follow the movements of wild animals being tracked in real time. From tagged kittiwakes on the south Devon coast to lions on the prowl in Namibia, you can follow as they migrate, see past movements or log your own sightings. Everything gets stored within the Movebank Research Database, a free online interactive mapping tool hosted by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour. This is a dynamic digital way to learn while contributing to a valuable citizen science resource for conservationists, rangers and researchers globally.
Free. iOS and Android
eBird
If, like many serious birders, you like a checklist, this app is for you. Available in 27 languages, eBird enables you to track your wild bird list by year, local path, or however you decide. You can explore popular hotspots in your area and record sightings while you’re on the move. Real-time eBird alerts are especially useful if you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of a rare bird.
Free. iOS and Android
LeafSnap
Snap pics of unusual-looking plants in your flowerbeds, hedgerows and woodland to identify them. The app works best when you focus on one plant at a time. Just click on leaf, flower, fruit or bark to help the app categorise your plant, then LeafSnap will scan your image and show the closest matches. If more than one option is listed, it’s up to you to compare and identify your plants. The paid-for version comes without annoying pop-up ads and with extra features, including tips for plant care. You can also use the app to remind you of plant-care regimes, so you won’t forget to water or feed them.
Free or £3.59/month for ad-free version. iOS and Android
Seagrass Spotter
If you’re swimming, rockpooling, kayaking or diving among the coastal shallows you might wonder what the grassy meadows beneath you are. Seagrasses are the only flowering plants able to live in seawater, and restoring these underwater wildlife havens is a crucial step towards restoring ocean health. App users can log sightings of seagrass anywhere in the world. The Seagrass Spotter, hosted by marine conservation charity Project Seagrass, makes it easy to tell which seagrass is which. You can even record an absence of seagrass – they’re vulnerable to damage, trampling and polluting – providing data used by marine scientists to build a more accurate picture of seagrass distribution and, ultimately, help protect it.
Free. iOS and Android
SkyView Lite
Open a window on to the night sky – just point your tablet or smartphone camera up and you’ll discover which stars or constellations you’re gazing at. You’ll know when the International Space Station is flying overhead or be able to identify distant planets. Keep this app on night mode to preserve your night vision. It’s also easy to use without wifi so it’s perfect for campers and remote ramblers.
Free. iOS and Android
WWF Forests
This is a playful option from environmental charity World Wide Fund for Nature, ideal if you’re unable to get outside to experience nature first-hand. Using augmented virtual reality, the Forests app takes you on an immersive tour of temperate forests from the comfort of your living room. By clicking on symbols as you move the screen around the room, you can uncover facts about forests, including what is threatening the wildlife living below the canopy. Tree monkeys and tigers appear at various stages of the journey, and eventually you can construct your own forest.
Free. iOS only
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