[imagesource:befunky]

We’re often told that technology is driving us further away from nature, but sometimes an app can connect you to nature.

Clever use of software can now identify everything from enigmatic animal footprints to elusive birdsong. Aside from that, your observations could also help scientific studies and conservation activities all across the world.

While phones are frequently blamed for distracting users, AI technology may just have found a way for more people to experience the natural world, and help conserve it. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones.

Seek

Take images with your phone and Seek’s artificial intelligence will identify the species and describe some specific features, making it ideal for curious kids who want to categorise various plants, animals, and fungi they come across on their outdoor excursions.

Depending on your location, the app will recommend common species to hunt for and offer themed challenges throughout the year, allowing you to look for everything from urban wildlife to swamp creatures.

ChirpOmatic

The name says it all and ChirpOmatic will tell you the difference between a mossie and a hoep-hoep by using AI bird recognition software. The app features “bird-safe mode” whereby you hold the phone up to your ear, so you won’t disturb any nesting behaviour or scare the birdies away.

AnimalTracker

Much like FlightRadar, this app allows you to track animals in real time. It’s connected to The Movebank Research Database, a free online interactive mapping tool maintained by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour.

This will allow you to track a pride of lions in Namibia and even tag migratory birds as they make their way across the globe. Where’s that sparrow going?

LeafSnap

This is one for plant lovers and vegans as it allows you to identify plants by simply taking a pic of their leaves. The app compares it to a massive database and will help you categorise the green stuff.

It also has features for those who can’t keep potplants alive and helps you track your plant growth, recommend remedies for sick plants, and remind you to water, trim, or feed your plant with a handy scheduling function.

Seagrass Spotter

If you enjoy undersea adventuring, or kayaking, along our coastline, this app by The Project Seagrass Spotter, which is hosted by the maritime conservation charity Project Seagrass, makes it simple to identify which seagrass along your stretch of coastline.

Seagrasses are the only blooming plants that can survive in salt water, and restoring these underwater wildlife havens is an important step toward restoring ocean health. The app also allows you to register a lack of seagrass, which may assist regeneration efforts by conservationists.

SkyView Lite

There’s not much wildlife in the night sky, but this app allows you to point your phone at the sky to identify stars, and constellations, and even track the passage of the International Space Station.

It works well without being connected to the internet, simply because the best places to observe the glory of the night sky usually don’t have a Wi-Fi signal.

WWF Forests

This clever little app by the environmental charity World Wide Fund for Nature allows you to experience the magic of forests without having to actually go to the Amazon. Using augmented virtual reality, the Forests app allows you to visit forests in an immersive experience.

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. The app also features sightings of indigenous creatures like monkeys and parrots and even lets you create your own forests for that ‘custom-nature’ vibe.

Technology can bring us closer to nature, but it’s important to note that nothing beats getting out there. No amount of AI or clever programming will ever replace the feeling of sitting with your feet in a little stream, listening to the birds around you, and just breathing in good old nature.

It’s summertime people, go for a walk in the bush, or try to identify a new species even. Getting some mud in between your toes is much better than any vitamin drip.

[source:guardian]