Apps for Nature Lovers
Originally published 10/18/23
You may have heard the phrase coined by Apple, “There’s an app for that.” For the nature lover, there are now plenty of quality apps that make spending time outdoors both educational and fun. Here are some of our favorites:
iNaturalist: iNaturalist is a social network for sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature. The primary goal is to connect people to nature, and the secondary goal is to generate scientifically valuable biodiversity data from these personal encounters.
iNaturalist helps you identify plants and animals with visually similar suggestions and verification by dedicated contributors. Get connected with a community of over a million scientists and naturalists who can help you learn more about nature! By recording and sharing your observations, you'll create research-quality data for scientists working to understand better and protect nature.
While OWF does not have an iNaturalist account, you can contribute to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s project at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=86666
Seek by iNaturalist: Found a mushroom, flower, or bug, and not sure what it is? Open up the Seek Camera to see if it knows!
Drawing from millions of wildlife observations on iNaturalist, Seek shows you lists of commonly recorded insects, birds, plants, amphibians, and more in your area. Scan the environment with the Seek Camera to identify organisms. Add different species to your observations and learn all about them in the process. The more observations you make, the more badges you’ll earn. This is a great app for families who want to spend more time exploring nature together and for anyone who wants to learn more about the life all around them.
PlantSnap: Instantly identify over 600,000 types of plants: flowers, trees, succulents, mushrooms, cacti, and more with PlantSnap! The app gives you all the information you need. The PlantSnap plant identifier makes it easy. Just take a picture using the app and their database will find all the information about it. After identifying plants, you will have information about their taxonomy and a complete description about the plant, orchid, indoor plant, ornamental plant, exotic flower and more. PlantSnap also tells you how to care for and grow plants.
AllTrails: Whether you hike, bike, run, or walk, AllTrails is your companion and guide to the outdoors. Find detailed reviews and inspiration from a community of trail-goers like you. They’ll help you plan, live, and share your outdoor adventures. AllTrails offers more than a running app or fitness activity tracker. It’s built on the idea that the outside isn’t a place to seek, but rather a part of us all. Custom route planning helps you search for dog-friendly, kid-friendly, stroller-friendly, or wheelchair-friendly trails, and more.
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab: What's that bird? Ask Merlin—the world’s leading app for birds. Just like magic, Merlin Bird ID will help you solve the mystery. Merlin Bird ID helps you identify birds you see and hear. Merlin is unlike any other bird app—it's powered by eBird, the world’s largest database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos. Whether you’re curious about a bird you’ve seen once or you’re hoping to identify every bird you can find, the answers are waiting for you with this free app from the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
