May 02, 2013

Project Noah App Review from Paperless Kitchen

One of the things that motivates me to keep up with my efforts to live a greener life is taking time to appreciate the wildlife that I encounter whether it's in my own backyard, at the park or when I'm off on an adventure. For me, part of the fun of seeing a beautiful bird, a funky insect or a gorgeous butterfly is learning more about its species, so in the past, I've found myself snapping pictures with my iPhone and then trying to research noteworthy creatures later.

Project Noah is a wildlife app that is meant for deepening your appreciation of nature and helping to catalog and research species. I decided to download the app and give it a try.

The Basics

- Available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with iOS 4.0 or later and Android devices that run on at least 2.2

- Free download from the App Store or Google Play

- Only available in English

- Created by Network Organisms

The Features

- Allows you to upload images of wildlife to study and you can request help identifying species from other users

- Uses your current location to track wildlife

- Field guide uses your geographic location to tell you what types of wildlife have been spotted in your area with maps to help guide you to the places where you’re most likely to have a spotting of your own

- Opportunities to participate in field missions being conducted by environmental groups and labs; these missions can involve taking photographs and looking for specific species. Information that you submit is then used as a part of research studies and papers

The Takeaway

This app is very easy to use and honestly, pretty addictive. I headed out to the park with it and ended up spending more time than I anticipated trying out the features. I submitted a photograph of a bird that I had spotted in our neighborhood on a few occasions and sent it in for help. By evening, I learned that I was the proud owner of a photograph of a common redpolls, a bird which is rare in my area. I think this app could also be great for kids, especially with summer vacations fast approaching. Why not download and participate in a few field missions with your kiddos? You don’t even need to set up a separate user name and password to use the app; it allows you to sign in with a Google sign on or a social media account. I highly recommend this app to anyone who wants to learn more about the creatures with which we share our Earth.