Technology vs. Outdoors

This past weekend while I was out birding it came to my attention, with a little bit of embarrassment that I did not know much about identifying bird species. Now the little group that was with me had a blast exploring the trails and guessing what kind of birds we came across, but I could not help but feel a little hesitant about pulling out my phone to help with our observations. Since we are in the 21^st century that’s what you commonly do when you have questions, you turn to the aid of the internet. However, cell phones have become quite a controversy in today’s society. Most articles or studies you come across say we spend too much time “glued” to our devices. While that may be true, it has become socially acceptable to convert to our phones in times of boredom or even to avoid awkward encounters. On the contrary, I went to my phone to use a handy app for bird identification and not to check social media, is that not an exception? In a society where we are constantly “instagramming” or “snapchatting” our every move, one may say “put your phone away and enjoy the nature in front of you”. At some point we do cross the line of the proper use of our devices, but there are appropriate situations where our phones can be very useful. In honor of those useful times I found some tools and uses for our phones with outdoor benefits.

Apps

Identifying wildlife is a big part of how I spend my time outdoors. I love to learn about what types of plants or animals I am observing, since indigenous species tell you more about your native environment.

There are plenty of apps that help you quickly identify what you’re looking at:

Like That Garden; photo based flower identification

PlantNet; photo based plant identification

Merlin Bird ID; helps identify birds by locations and asking certain questions

Wildlife of North America; prepares you for your adventure by getting you more familiar with the wildlife found in North America

Navigation apps are usefully in telling you what trails are around you, if you are still on the right trail and even help you find hidden treasure!

ALLTrails; list of hiking trails in the area by closest to you or even by trial difficulty

Polaris Navigation GPS; great for navigating off road and backcountry

Geocaching; Geocaching is the hunt for boxes where people leave little trinkets and notes behind. They can be found indoors or outdoors but either way the hunt will be an adventure!

I hope these apps give you all some inspiration to get outdoors with your phones in ways you haven’t thought of before!

 

Birding on the Swamp Rabbit

Hello Nature Play Club! The weeks are flying by this spring and we are quickly approaching our next club outing. On May 14^th, we will be expanding our citizen science skills while exploring the Swamp Rabbit trail through Cleveland Park. Our focus will be on our feathered friends; birds! Yes, birds are in full swing (or shall we say flight) this time of year. We can hear them singing in the waking hours of the morning. They busily foraging in the grass after the freshly fallen rain. Baby birds can be seen hungrily awaiting for mom to return to the nest. They are everywhere, however they have become so much a part of our day that they commonly go unnoticed. However these brilliant creatures play an important part in our local ecological system. Come on out and take a closer look at these magnificent creatures as we observe their day and become more familiar with the native species. We will meet Saturday morning, May 14^th at 10:00 AM in front of the Greenville Zoo entrance rain or shine! The current forecast is sunny mid-80s, but that may change, so please dress appropriate to the weather. We will plan to explore the park until around 11:30 AM. If you are not a member of the club and would like to join please click here.

Hope to see you there!