Technology and Outdoor Education

Species identification

Citizen science-contribute to online research

Surveying (adding to global library of species

 

Pros

  • can enhance learning in outdoors-increasing access of information
  • Increases digital literacy
  • Students can see and learn about things they might otherwise not have been exposed to

Cons

  • need a device
  • Increases screen time

Risks

Technology could detract from time outdoors if used inappropriately

APPS

iNaturalist

Useful for IDing plants and animals

Get help with identification

Collaborate with others

Backed up ID becomes “research grade” and contribute to science

FREE

 

BioBlitz- not an APP

But is a communal citizen-science effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible

 

SEEK is an app by iNaturalist

Allows user to identify different flora and fauna (uses the “research grade” surveying data from the iNaturalist app to help with species identification)

Quicker and more simple than iNaturalist

Free

Once something is identified, you can go to the link for more info.

(Not contributing to the research grade) -Can go to iNaturalist after

 

iTrack Wildlife

Interactive learning about animal tracks

User friendly

Names given in english or latin

Slight cost

Limited use

Really fun

 

Merlin-from the COrnell Lab

What saw, where was, what size, etc.

Or take picture of bird and upload to app

App will give info or sounds and can hear bird calls, and gives map to find bird

Fun interactive games online-learn about anatomy, history, habitat ingo.

Check out live webcam

 

Marine Debris Tracker

“An open data citizen science movement”

A platform for tracking marine debris

-contributes to a database

 

Seaweed sorter

-makes identifying seaweeds more simple

This app could be relevant to this area (close to marine environment)

 

PeakFinder

This app identifies the names of peaks around you

Simply hold up your smartphone camera and your screen will label the peaks (like the photo above)

This can be useful for taking students on outdoor trips as well as for orienteering

Works offline

 

Peak Visor..like Peak Finder, but free!

Goes through walls…

360 degrees-names of mountains

 

Globe Observer

Data collection for weather, mosquitoes, tree height, and land cover

Can discuss satellite imagery, citizen science, weather patterns, tree growth, and height, life cycles

 

NASA app

Simple but full of amazing content

Contains detailed info about the galaxy, solar system, and NASA

Access to live streaming of people in space 

 

Skype a Scientist

Class connects via webcam with a scientist

Hundreds of scientists to choose from

Also have live sessions on youtube-can prepare questions-can watch previously held sessions-do a Q & A 

Some apps can download packages so can check out at any time

So then can do on iPad and not need connection for example

iNaturalist needs data though-could take pictures and later input data and ID

 

A lot of these apps provide an Augmented Reality