Current Nature: Nature In The Palm Of Your Hand: Accessible Ways To Connect With Our Natural World

Miah Wagner & Jenn Kafas

In the busy world we live in today, connecting with nature can seem like a daunting task. Nature is all around us, but it can be easy to overlook the wonderful sights and sounds the natural world has to offer. We are here to provide some easy and accessible ways that one can connect with nature throughout the day. Whether on your commute to work, walking downtown, or at your own home, there are free and simple ways to slow down and enjoy the outdoors!

General Identification: iNaturalist

The iNaturalist app and website has been a LLNF favorite for years. It enabled a super successful 2024 BioBlitz and is a great tool for people just getting started with species identification and researchers alike. To use iNaturalist, you simply upload a photo of whatever it is you are trying to identify, and the app will give you suggestions on what it could be based on your photo, location, and the season. After viewing suggestions, you pick the species you think it is and post it so that others can view it and confirm or change your identification. iNaturalist also has other features that can be useful in better understanding your species. My favorite feature is the mapping tool that allows you to see where other people have identified the same species. It’s available online for desktop and free to download for iOS and Android. For more information on how to get set up, visit the LLNF website.

A map of all iNaturalist observations of Carolina Sea Lavender using the iNaturalist “explore” feature on my desktop. I can tell from this that it is a coastal plant, and that it has been introduced in parts of Europe.

For Our Plant Lovers: Go Botany

For the aspiring plant naturalist, Go Botany is another great resource. Created by the Native Plant Trust, Go Botany is an online field guide for beginners and professionals alike who have a mystery plant they want identified. This website offers several keys that you can use to nail down a species. Keys can be thought of as flow-charts where you answer a series of questions that narrows down your options until you find your species. A good place to start on this website is with the “Simple Key”. The questions are generally in plain language and the options are already narrowed down to what plant groups you are most likely to find. With every question you answer, fewer plants appear as possibilities.

If you don’t want to use a key, another great way to identify plants is to start by getting a first guess using iNaturalist, then back on Go Botany, finding the plant profile you think you have using their search engine. On the profiles of each plant, the website lists other plants that it could be confused with and explains the differences between them. Using both Go Botany and iNaturalist is a great way to make a confident identification.

Interested in Birds: Merlin & eBird

Birds are incredibly diverse; they have hundreds of unique calls and songs, come in a multitude of colors and patterns, shapes and sizes, they can be seen flying, diving, even swimming! With all these factors it can be overwhelming and nearly impossible to identify all the birds around you, even if you have a field guide, or a professional birder on hand. However, with the creation of free apps such as Merlin and eBird, identifying and admiring bird diversity has never been easier.

Merlin allows you to identify birds based on sight or sound with the click of a button. Whilst in the app, simply hit “record sound” and the program will listen for birdsong and tell you what species it hears. You can also use their “Bird ID Wizard” tool which will guide you step by step in identifying what the bird looks like and give you recommendations of species that fit your description. In addition to Merlin, you can use eBird to keep track of the birds you see and hear using birding checklists. By submitting a checklist you are contributing to a community science database that helps researchers better understand bird diversity and ultimately help in saving our vulnerable bird populations. Check out more about eBird here!

Created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Merlin and eBird are for the general public and researchers alike. These programs are free to download on iOS and Android devices. eBird is also accessible on a computer. Setting up an account is free and easy using your email to register, for a step by step guide on setting up and using these apps click here!

The eBird interface on a smartphone.

Birding at Home: Backyard Birding

For those of us who would prefer to explore the natural world close to home, there are plenty of ways to do so, starting with backyard birding! Although it may not seem like it, your own backyard is teeming with life, if you know where to look. Backyard birding is an easy way to get familiarized with the most common birds around your area, watch as they fly about, search for food and nesting material, or socialize with other birds. Nothing fancy is needed to backyard bird; a comfy chair, perhaps a pair of binoculars, and if you are interested in identifying the birds you see there are plenty of tools to do so (Merlin, eBird, iNaturalist, Go Botany, field guides!) Making your yard more suitable for the animals and plants we share our world with can be easy and affordable, check out this Amazon list for some of our recommended bird feeders, binoculars, field guides, and more!

Photo of a bird feeder with many different species of birds enjoying a meal.

Birding with Friends: Fantasy Birding

Traditionally, birding has been viewed as an outdoor activity, but there are ways to connect with avian life without ever leaving the comfort of your home. For armchair naturalists looking for a friendly competition, consider Fantasy Birding. Similar to other fantasy sports, you can join contests and earn points based on real-world results. Fantasy Birding results are based on data entered on eBird, which makes it different from other fantasy sports where the points are derived from professional athletes. Instead of drafting athletes, you pick a birding location for each day of the contest and then compile bird sightings from all the checklists submitted in that location. Monitoring weather forecasts, recent observations, and rare bird alerts for potential locations is key to a high score! There are different game formats with their own rules, but all offer a chance to monitor cool bird sightings seen around the world without ever leaving your home. You can start your own contest with friends and family, so give it a try!

Making Birding More Accessible: Birdability

Birdability is a transformative non-profit dedicated to making birding inclusive for everyone, regardless of disability or health concerns. With a vision that “birding truly is for everybody and every body,” they use education and outreach to ensure accessibility for birding. Their global map of birding locations, enriched by volunteer reviews, guides birders on what to expect at each site. At LLNF, we are happy to be the first location on the island to be added to theBirdability map. Additionally, they host tailored outings and offer resources for educators, making birding an activity where no one is left behind. Birdability is redefining birding and ensuring everyone can experience the beauty of nature.

Get started with LLNF!

The Big Sit: September 4th, 2024

Join the Linda Loring Nature Foundation for a birding “Big Sit” event. We will gather at the picnic tables on our office deck to spend a relaxing morning observing all the birds that come to our feeders or fly by. We will provide all necessary equipment, such as binoculars, scopes, and field guides. The focus will be on learning by sitting and observing, making this a great program for beginners and individuals with mobility needs. Light breakfast snacks will also be provided. Birding Field Trips are free and open to all! Pre-registration is required. Please submit a unique registration for each participant here. Personal transportation to and from LLNF, 110 Eel Point Rd, is required to participate. Please direct any questions to info@llnf.org.

Stay tuned for more editions of Current Nature, a bi-weekly column featuring seasonal topics, natural history information, and advice on the outdoors from the staff at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation.