Citizen Science Apps

 

Citizen Science Apps:
A game or scientific tool

by Corey Wrinn

When I was 12, I got my first Nintendo gaming system and with it came Pokémon, a game I would later find to be so relatable to my Conservation career. The creatures in the game resemble the biodiversity on Earth, and has you wander the forests, fields and seas in search of Pokémon for a professor, so they can better understand how humans and Pokémon live in harmony. There are many details, bad guys and plot lines, but what’s important to understand is this: you discover and document Pokémon to complete in-game scientific research. The icing on the cake is getting to meet the rarest and most incredible mythical types. Trust me when I say, everyone who played the game wishes it was real.

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

Years later, I was introduced to iNaturalist, a public smartphone app and international database of flora, fauna and fungi observations that anyone who signs up can contribute to. By simply taking a picture of any life form, the automated species identification program generates the closest result based on thousands of peer reviewed entries. To my great excitement, it is as close to Pokémon as anyone could get in real-life.

Corey using iNaturalist

Here, a user can interact with thousands of accredited scientists, enthusiasts, and amateurs to share data, experiences, and discoveries. And all the while contributing to our understanding of the grand masterpiece of biodiversity. Every opportunity I get to use the app in the field, I do.

But wait, there are more! iNaturalist is not the only app that bring the secrets of the natural world to our fingertips. Here is a list of the other fantastic apps and databases I use, that you can use to contribute to scientific research or for personal enjoyment:

*NOTE: this list is just a fraction of the amount of naturalist apps that exist at the moment. 

Apps:

• Seek by iNaturalist - Fast and easy to use for all ages. You can upload your observations to iNaturalist.
• eBird - Created by the Cornel Lab of Ornithology to document birds globally. You can add location specific lists that contribute to current research efforts.
• Audubon Birding App – Highly specified dichotomous key that also includes various calls and clicks from juveniles to adult bird species. Add observations to personal lists.
• Budburst- a phenology project from the Chicago Botanic Garden is a plant-focused for conservation efforts. Now (spring) is the best time to use this app!
• Merlin Bird ID – A dichotomous key focusing on sights and sounds of bird species, using a visual key for bird calls. State of the art!
• NatureID – an app that helps you make a list of the plants in your garden, and provides resources on how to better care for your garden.
• ShroomID- identify mushrooms by taking a picture. Only pick mushrooms to consume if you were shown by an expert naturalist or have extensive experience. Consumption of wild mushrooms can be fatal.
• LeafSnap- An electronic field guide created by Columbia University, University of Maryland and Smithsonian, that covers all 185 tree species in the United States.

Website Databases:

• GoBotany – an online dichotomous key provided by the Native Plant Trust. Includes "Plant Share" to get in touch with fellow enthusiasts.
• National Heritage Endangered Species Program – a state run information database that accepts reported sightings of vernal pools and rare species.
• EED MapS- Report sightings of invasive plants, wildlife and diseases to a national network of verifiers and view current distribution maps.
• Beecology Project - this citizen science project aims to fill the gaps in our knowledge about pollinators. Participate in real-time science!

*NOTE: most of these databases have smartphone apps.

Photo by David Grandmougin

Around the time I was discovering these naturalist tools, San Fransisco based Niantic released PokémonGO, a highly successful virtual reality (VR) smartphone gaming app, similar to the original game but set on our Earth. To find different Pokémon, you had to travel to environments where they would live: grass types in parks or farms, water types near lakes and oceans, some are even said to only be found on mountain tops. The app caused a behavioral shift in people who normally would be inside working or gaming, to step outside. Users of the game have also discovered non-virtual wildlife while playing, connecting the world of Pokémon to our own. Some calculations have projected that if PokémonGO users were to use these naturalist apps I've listed above, they could "...produce more wildlife observations in 6 days than have been collated over the past 400 years by naturalists." What do you think Rachael Carson or Alexander Humboldt would say to that? 

The original game's creator, Satoshi Tajiri, collected insects as a child and later wished for the turn-of-the-century generation to know what life was like pre-industrialization of Japan. Multiple surveys show that children know more Pokémon species than in the natural world around them. The game can teach us so much about environmental education and how to connect with the fading natural world. The more we use apps based in the real-world, I believe more people will understand how to better protect the biodiversity in their neighborhood.

Photo by Corey Wrinn

Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the sights and sounds of millions of life forms emerging from swamps, dens and burrows, accompanied by the blossoms of every tree and flower for miles around. I remember the springs of my childhood when the air was stirring with excitement and the nights are loud with the chirping of insects and amphibians, I wouldn’t dare fall asleep least I missed the excitement of the night, only to wake to find a new crocus or snowdrop that had finally made its journey to the surface and warming sunshine.

And yet, there were many times then as I find myself now, not knowing the identity of those creatures and plants which I share a neighborhood with. Lucky for me, I am a human living in the 21st century, and curiosity is a trait best harnessed in spring when shedding the heavy cloak of winter. There are hundreds of search engines at our disposal, and best of all, we can access them on our smart phones, sharing the wonders of the world through pictures and sound. So get out there with your friends and families! Join a BioBlitz or start documenting the life in your neighborhood. You'd be surprised with how many others are doing the same when they're outside: stopping to smell the roses? Maybe. Maybe they are discovering a new species or making life long connections with the natural world. See you out there!