Seek by iNaturalist (a joint venture by the National Geographic Society and the California Academy of Sciences) connects people with nature. The app features live image recognition it scans its database of millions of wildlife observations while users have their camera open and before they take a photo. Once Seek identifies the species, it prompts users to take a photo, unlocking further features. It will also display a map of where the species is located near the user, and awards them badges that go towards completing various challenges. With the user’s permission, the app sends collected data to iNaturalist’s global biodiversity database, helping scientists to track the health of the planet. Free for iOS and Android.
The Seek app was originally released in 2018. It’s been redesigned and rebuilt in the past year.
Teachers interested in getting their classes involved can check out an online guide.
Grown-ups may be interested in the original iNaturalist app.
If you want to dig deeper, iNaturalist also is compiling a list of similar biodiversity observation platforms and social networks.
Picture Credit : Google
