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Outdoor Vancouver, 10 best iPhone Android Apps for the Outdoors

March 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

10 Best iPhone and Android Apps for the Outdoors

Filed in Deals, Products and Companies by on March 16, 2014 • 1 Comment
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Sometimes the best part of getting outside is turning off your smartphone and getting away from technology. But there are definitely times where your iPhone or Android can open up new activities, or put needed information at your fingertips. Here are the 10 best smartphone apps for getting outdoors.

SIDENOTE: You do NOT want to rely on your phone’s GPS for backcountry navigation, with very few exceptions. Why not? There is a detailed list of reasons in this article.

 

10. Strava

Strava Top Ten Apps Smartphone Strava quickly became my favorite web-app for tracking all my running training. The website is very clean, provides great reports, and let’s you follow your friend’s training (and comment and leave ‘kudos’ on their workouts). Perhaps, the coolest feature of Strava is the ‘segments’.

Segments are user-created, user-edited, and designate a portion of route where users can compete for time. You can use segments to compare your own times, or to compare with other user’s times who have also completed the segment. Segments are a great way to see who is in your area, and to link to the type of routes other users are riding or running.

Best of all, after you upload your GPS file to the website, it will automatically see if you ran any segments and show you your overall standings in the leaderboard for that segment. The smartphone app for Strava let’s you record your run or cycle using your phone’s GPS and directly uploads the file to your account after the workout is complete. The app also lets you see your activity feed, your profile, and explore new segments. If you use Strava you can follow me here.

Strava App: iPhone | Android | Website Cost: Free (there is a premium upgrade to unlock extra features on the website).

9. iBird

For anyone who is a birder, and tech savy, this is a no-brainer compared to flipping though a book out of your backpack. But even if you’re not a birder, I can see where this app comes in handy. There’s been several times where I’ve been out hiking or trail running and have come across owls, which I think are amazing animals. But its frustrating if you don’t know the species. Having this app on your phone is the answer.

iBird App: iPhone | Android | Website Cost: Lite version is free, or $10 for pro on Android and $20 on iOS Also slated for release in 2014 is a Google Glass version.

8. Everytrail

Everytrail App

Everytrail is another website I use a lot. It is similar to Strava above, but geared towards hiking and walking, instead of cycling and running. The website allows you to comb through hundreds of thousands of user-generated trail guides. Each guide will allow you to view the GPS tracks on  a map, download the tracks, view the elevation profile, and most have accompanying pictures and or even video. (You can see the trip reports I have created here). A few features of the app:

  • Track your route with your phone’s GPS capability – see your route map drawn while you move
  • Listen to awesome audio guides that give you hands free info at key POIs along the way
  • Plot pictures taken with your phone’s camera on your map instantly
  • Download maps to use offline when data connection is spotty or to avoid pricey roaming charges (Pro Version only)
  • View stats while tracking (distance, speed, elevation and more)

Everytrail App: iPhone | Android | Website Cost: Free for lite version, or $4 for Pro version (needed to unlock maps for offline use, and to remove ads)

7. What Knot To Do

What Knot To Do iPhone

“What Knot to Do (in the Greater Outdoors) is your pocket guide to 70 must know knots in six categories. With this App you’ll always have just the right knot at the ready, with clear step-by-step tying instructions to meet any and every outdoor need”. There are quite a few knot apps out there but What Knot To Do rises to the top.  The knots are easy to find within their categories of bends, hitches, loops, bindings, stoppers, and specials. Each knot has some background detail about the knot, and explains when and where you’d most likely need to use it. Then there a several graphics that break out the process of how to actually tie the knot. A few features:

  • Glossary of terms with over 70 entries
  • Illustrated terminology examples
  • Introduction to knots, cordage and knot tying
  • Easy to follow step-by-step tying instructions

What Know To Do App: iPhone | Website Cost: Free Android Alternative: Knots Guide (Free)

6. Google SkyMap

With SkyMap you can point your phone into the night sky to identify stars, planets, constellations, and even meteor showers. The app uses your phones GPS and compass data to identify the stars you are looking at. Or, if you want to find a particular star or planet, you can do a search for it, and SkyMap will show you where to move your phone to locate it. Pretty cool stuff!

What Know To Do App: Android | Website Cost: Free iPhone Alternative: Star Chart

5. Learn to Camp

Learn to Camp App

Learn to Camp is an app developed by Parks Canada, and its surprisingly well done. It has four basic main areas; Camping Basics, Camping Checklist, Recipes and Cooking, and Find a Park. There is plenty of simple and basic information under the Camping Basics section. This information is not very detailed, but would be useful for newbie campers. The Camping Checklist lets you create a list of items you’ll need for your trip, which are added from pre-populated categories in the app. You can then cross them off as you’ve collected the items.

The app also shows you all the National Parks and general details about each site. This app is very handy. I wish they would team up with the Provincial Parks to add those parks into the app as well.

What Know To Do App: iPhone | Android | Website Cost: Free

4. The Backpacker Checklist

Backpacker Checklist App

The title of the app says it all. If you’re looking for a checklist that is more robust than the checklist built unto Learn To Camp (app #, above), then this is the one you want.

The Backpacker Checklist will help you:

  • Plan ahead for what to bring
  • Locate where to get your gear
  • Calculate how much your pack will weigh
  • Assist in eliminating stuff you don’t want/need to carry

What Know To Do App: iPhone | Website Cost: Free Android Alternative: Backpack Planner ($1)

3. GPS Essentials

Although you should not rely on your phone’s GPS (see side-note at the top of this post) for backcountry navigation, if you do want to record your tracks with your phone or otherwise use its GPS, GPS Essentials is hands-down the most feature-rich GPS app out there. The above video has  a nice review of the app. A few of the features:

  • Navigate, manage waypoints, tracks, routes, build your own dashboard from 45 widgets.
  • Shows navigation values such as: Accuracy, Altitude, Speed, Battery, Bearing, Climb, Course, Date, Declination, Distance, ETA, Latitude, Longitude, Max Speed, Min Speed, Actual Speed, True Speed, Sunrise, Sunset, Moonset, Moonrise, Moon Phase, Target, Time, TTG, Turn.
  • Show the orientation of the earth’s magnetic field, shows an arbitrary tracking angle and the current target. Also a marine orienteering compass.
  • Record tracks and view them on map. Export KML files and import into Google Maps, Google Earth and others.
  • Manage routes and view them on map. Import KML files from Google Maps, Google Earth and others. Create turn-by-turn instructions between waypoints.

GPS Essentials App: Android | Website Cost: Free iPhone Alternative: MotionX-GPS ($2.99)

2. My Nature Animal Tracks

It can be exciting when you discover animal tracks out in the woods. But if you haven’t studied tracks before, you’re left to guessing what tracks you are looking at. (This happened to me last year when I saw some cougar tracks in the snow).

The My Nature Animal Tracks let’s you easily identify the tracks you’ve found.  ”Search by track size and shape in seven different illustrated categories to identify over 46 animals across North America. View actual tracks in the wild, reference illustrated gait patterns, range maps, digital images of animals and listen to each animals vocalazation”.

My Nature Animal Tracks App: iPhone | Android | Website Cost: $5 Android, $7 iPhone

1. Geocaching

Geocaching is a really fun activity I’ve posted about before. The concept is very simple. You load the GPS coordinates for a ‘cache’ onto your handheld GPS or smartphone, use the provided hints, and go and try and find the cache, usually hidden in the woods or on a trail. There are different types of geocaches ranging in difficulty, but its the perfect way to have some leisurely fun in the outdoors, especially with kids.

Geocaching.com is the de-facto place to post and find new geocaches, and the smartphone app allows you to find nearby caches using your phone’s GPS. You can view hints, record your activity history, and more.

Geocaching App: iPhone | Android | Website Cost: $9.99 Android Alternative (Free): C:Geo

http://www.outdoorvancouver.ca/best-iphone-android-apps-outdoors/#comment-23504

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A nice mention from the National Wildlife Federation.

January 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment

14 Apps That Will Revolutionize Your Walk in the Woods

from Wildlife Promise

iPhone in NatureMany argue that smartphones are keeping kids out of the woods and locked up behind their screens. However, these devices and the new mobile apps they put at our fingertips assist us in a lot of different ways, even when you’re out of the house and in the wilderness. You can read some thoughts around NWF’s findings in the report Friending Fresh Air: Balancing Nature and Technology.

While exploring nature is often regarded as a tech-free activity, it’s great to know that in the 21st century there are tech-savvy tools that help can us enjoy nature and wildlife in a whole new way.

Here are 14 apps that will turn even the most urban person into a naturalist in no time.

 

trailhead1. The North Face Trailhead App

The outdoor apparel retailer The North Face has launched an exploratory trail-finding app for iPhone. Its function is to help users find and share the best paths and routes for hikers, skiers, fly fishermen, and others who don’t want to get lost when they head for the hills. The free app enables users to search by activity type and distance, proximity (either from your current location using GPS or by zip code), and user ratings. The database of routes is pulled from EveryTrail.com, a platform for swapping trails with fellow enthusiasts.

 

2. Florafolio

The ultimate native plant resource for nature enthusiasts is now available as an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Florafolio is an interactive guide that allows users to focus on the stunning variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns, vines, and grasses indigenous to Eastern Canada and the Northeastern region of the US. It’s an excellent directory for anyone who’s looking to identify native plant species in the wild.

 

Ibirdplus3. iBird Plus Guide to Birds

Designed for both iPhone and iPad, iBird Plus is one of the more pricier apps, at $14.99. However its database has a total of 938 species so it’s far more extensive than some of the other bird apps available today.

 

wildlab4. WildLab Bird

Not as extensive as the iBird Plus, WildLab Bird is a free app that can identify 200 species of birds. It engages learners with the basics of bird identification. Along with associated curricula and educational activities found on the WildLab.org Web site, WildLab Bird is a powerful way to see the environment in a whole new way.

 

LeafSnap5. Leafsnap

Leafsnap, free on iOS, is a comprehensive nature-guide app that features an extensive directory of North American plants. You can rifle through the directory manually, and filter the species by leaf shapes, flowers, fruit, and so on. Tapping an entry takes you to a photo-rich data page that displays examples of the plant’s bark and seeds. There is also a text description of habitats and bloom times.

 

MyNatureAnimalTracks6. MyNature Animal Tracks

Priced on upwards of $8 USD, according to naturalist D. Thomas this is “a must-have app for anyone outdoors.” MyNature Animal Tracks allows users to identify any animal track in your area when you reference this well-made guide. It is chock-full of great information and photos that are not just illustrations, but actual photographs of a wide variety of animal tracks.

 

inature7. iNaturalist

Explore! Learn! Record on Androids! iNaturalist allows you to record your observations from the natural world for free and contribute them to iNaturalist.org, a social network for naturalists. Users can get started quickly by reviewing the app’s guide. A recent update was added in June 2013.

 

projectnoah8. Project Noah

Free for iPhones and Androids, Project Noah is the best way to share your wildlife encounters and help document our planet’s biodiversity. Naturalists can upload their own wildlife photos or review those uploaded by others from across the globe.

 

trails9. Trails-GPS Tracker

Trails-GPS Tracker is the first GPS app that allows you to record, export, and import tracks directly on your iPhone! Prepare and review your outdoor adventures on the iPad as well, since there’s an easy exchange between iPhone and iPad. Priced at $3.99, Trails was first released five years ago, so it’s had several upgrades.

 

treebook10. TreeBook

TreeBook is the authoritative guide to 100 of the most common trees in North America. It was produced by veteran forester Steve Nix (of forestry.about.com fame), and developed by Ash Mishra (developer of the very popular CBC Hockey and CBC Radio apps). This free application’s easy, intuitive interface provides a way to determine the type of tree you’re looking at — with images, search, synonyms for trees, layman terms, and, for the more scientifically minded, detailed terminology.

 

wheresabear11. Where’s a Bear

Available for 99 cents, Google’s Android smartphone and their developers Blackbonnet have just launched an app called Where’s a Bear. It’s a great service for tourists who want to track wildlife sighting alerts for not only those big old scary grizzly bears, but any other species of your choice. Its intent is to allow users to maximize their Yellowstone vacation time by taking the guesswork out of finding the best places to see the park’s primary residents.

 

Yellowstone National Park The Official Guide on the App Store on iTunes12. Yellowstone Wildlife

The Yellowstone Wildlife app which doesn’t include the “finding the bear” feature (noted above) is now also available on iPhones and iPads as well as Androids. You can obtain real-time updates of Yellowstone wildlife sightings for free.

 

natgeobirdsicon13. National Geographic Birds

Now available for $9.99, National Geographic Birds was designed for iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch. It offers an innovative, beautiful, and interactive field guide to the birds of North America. Whether you’re new to bird watching or already an expert, this completely updated and redesigned app makes spotting, identifying, and understanding birds easier than ever.

 

Wildobs14. WildObs Observer

Check out more than 1,000 species of mammals, birds, snakes, bugs, worms, WildObs Observer. Designed by Neukadye, this free iPhone app lets you record wildlife and contribute them both to your database, and to National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Watch program. It’s a neat experience to learn what naturalists around you are seeing and uploading.

If you’ve never taken that walk in the woods prior to reading this blog, perhaps these innovative apps will motivate you to do so now. Whether you have a passion for flowers, trees, plants, mammals, birds reptiles, rocks, or anything in between, technology can be your friend when you take that next fork in the road.

Drew Hendricks

About the Author

This is a guest post by Drew Hendricks, an environmental and tech addict that has written for a variety of publications including Technorati, Forbes and Huffington Post.

 

 

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5 Best iPhone Apps for Hikers

October 26, 2013 by 2 Comments
We recently had the honor of being mentioned in an article by Jack Charles. Thanks Jack for the mention!
Published by on October 4, 2013  | 4 Responses

If you’re an Apple-loving hiker, you’ll love these iPhone apps for tracking your hikes and helping you in the great outdoors. From apps that tell you where you are in the world to apps that track your elevation, these five iPhone apps are the 21st century hiker’s best trail buddies.Best iphone Apps for Hiking

1. Gaia GPS by TrailBehind

One of the challenges well-known to hikers when it comes to using cell phone apps is the lack of cellular service in remote areas. For this reason, plenty of hikers eschew apps for hiking altogether. After all, what good is an app you can’t actually use when you’re in a remote wilderness area? Gaia GPS, however, allows users to download maps from all over the world onto their iPhones so that the map and its related information will be available in the middle of the hike, even when you’re in the middle of nowhere. With or without a cell phone signal, you’ll still be able to use the GPS function, which means that as long as the map has been downloaded ahead of time, Gaia GPS will be able to tell you where you’re at. Additionally, Gaia GPS will note points of interest on the map with detailed information about each spot.

There’s a free version of this app that’s ad-supported, or you can make an investment of $19.99 for the full version of the app. The full version also gives users access to special trail maps within a given area. A lot of fans of this app say that the hefty price tag is worth it.

2. Point de Vue by Sen:Te

Point de Vue was made specifically with mountain lovers in mind. For those hikers who like to know where and how high up the surrounding mountains are, Point de Vue will help. It provides detailed information about the elevation, distance and summit of all the mountain peaks within a 125-mile radius from where the hiker is standing. The great part about Point de Vue is that it works great even in cloudy weather.

Reviewers of this app state that its $1.99 price is a real bargain for the amount of information it provides.

3. U.S. Army Survival Guide by Double Dog Studios

If you get caught in a bad storm during your hike, do you know how to make an emergency shelter? Do you know how to find water? Can you tell the difference between a poisonous wild berry and a friendly one? With this app, you’ll have access to all of that information and much more. This app contains more than 1,400 pages from an actual military survival guide. App Store reviews give this $1.99 app almost universally high ratings.

4. GotoAID First Aid by Jargon Ltd.

The U.S. Army Survival Guide is a well-rounded guide with information to cover almost every situation. GotoAID is more specific, focusing just on first-aid for pets and humans, but it contains detailed, step-by-step instructions for nearly every emergency, complete with illustrations. GotoAID is especially useful for hikers who travel with their dogs as a large section of this first aid guide is devoted to animals. Furthermore, this is an app that might come in handy during a hike, but it’s also just as much use at home. It’s an all-purpose first-aid guide for humans, dogs and cats.

Start with the free version of this app. If you like what you see, you can upgrade to the full, award-winning version for $4.99.

5. MyNature Animal Tracks by MyNature Inc.

Did you see that paw print in the mud? Was that a mountain lion or just somebody’s big dog? Keeping MyNature Animal Tracks on your phone will help you to identify the scat, prints, sounds and glimpses of the wildlife around you on your hike. Billed as a nature guide that fits in the palm of your hand, the Animal Tracks is the latest of several great apps for outdoors-types by MyNature. Once you’ve identified the animal that you’ve seen evidence of, Animal Tracks will give you range maps, lifecycle information and other interesting tidbits about the animal you see.

A lot of reviewers object to this app’s $6.99 price. However, hikers and nature lovers will be more than happy to pay the price for this thorough app that’s perfect for wildlife watchers.

These five apps are some of the very best on the market for hikers. However, there are many other great apps for hikers out there. Do you know of some? Share your favorites in the comments section below.

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Wildflower Photography Field Staff

March 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Spring, what a beautiful word and after six months of cold and snow it can’t get here soon enough for me.  These winter months have given me time to do a lot of research for our upcoming wildflower app for the Northeast. We were planning on having that ready for release in the spring of 2014 but it looks more like it will be 2015 and even that date seems a little optimistic. Of course we wouldn’t and couldn’t be as far along as we are now without the help of several individuals who have a passion for the outdoors and offered us some much needed help in identifying and photographing  wildflowers throughout the Eastern portion of the country.  We’re always looking for additional help and if your interested in becoming part of something that should be a great educational tool in the near future just give us a shout.

I would like to introduce the individual photographers that are contributing their time and skill and more importantly sharing their passion for Nature with us.

                                                                     

 Ed Snyder

edclip_image002 I Retired from Xerox Corporation in 1998 after 32 years as a Graphic Arts Specialist. I’ve been married to my wife Nancy since 1964 and have two grown daughters. I had been a bowhunter for 35 years but hung up the bow in 2000 for what I like to call “Camera Hunting!” I now go to our hunting camp with my buddies and “hunt” with the camera. It takes the exact same skills to get close to wild animals with the camera as it did with the bow and I am having the time of my life in retirement. When my wife gave me a Nikon D50 Digital camera for Christmas one year, my life was changed! 

Nature photography was my number one interest until 2008 when I met another Xerox retiree (Bill Herbert) who had been interested in wildflowers and everything in nature most of his life. I had just started taking close-up pictures of a few flowers in the woods behind my home and Bill told me he could take me to a few places where I could get some different ones. After seeing my first orchid, (the Grass Pink), I was hooked! That started a great friendship between us and we were soon going out every Wednesday from spring to fall on hikes to photograph wildflowers! In five years time we have accumulated almost 700 different flowers in our home state of New York and hiked 100 different trails! Bill has taught me a lot about wildflowers and I am still learning every time we go out. In all the years I spent in the woods hunting deer and turkey, I never paid any attention to wildflowers but I have now discovered what I have been missing all those years! 

 

Joan Ray
joanLiving on a lake in coastal Maine gives me lots of opportunities to photograph different wildflowers both inland and along the seashore. I work for a local land trust, helping to preserve the places that make Maine so special, and love getting outside to photograph wildflowers as well as beautiful scenery.  While I really love wildlife, it is plants that hold my interest the most – I can keep moving with brief stops instead of sitting still waiting for animals come to me!  A lot of my photographs are taken along the lakeshore – as I glide along in my kayak I see plants that interest me and stop to observe them and take pictures. I am a Maine Master Naturalist, and especially enjoy leading hikes focusing on trees, wildflowers, and, in the winter, animal tracking.



evening primrose2Cynthia McWilliams

I am a retired Chemistry teacher, a life-long naturalist and a Master Gardener (focused on native plants and gardening for wildlife). I volunteer for the Peconic Land Trust and for LINPI (Long Island Native Plant Initiative). I am also an avid traveler, but try to plan my longer excursions so as not to compete with the gardening season. I enjoy biking, kayaking and bird watching. When I retired I determined to seek out all the wild places on Long Island that I had not yet explored, and once again took up amateur photography. It is surprising how many pockets of natural beauty one can find if one only looks.. When I saw what Jeff was doing, it seemed a perfect fit with my pastimes, and indeed, I have discovered even more wild places on a quest for flowers!

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Biomass Direct and Fisher Stoves, Buyer Beware!!

November 11, 2012 by 55 Comments

 

12/15/2013 Update

Through one of the comments left this past week it seems that Larry Boyd of Fisher Stoves/Biomass Direct has just closed his website down. We can only hope he’s out of business for good but I highly doubt it. If anyone has any first hand knowledge of any new website or business that Mr. Boyd may start  anew please let me know so I can update this post. We’ve saved quite a few people from this shyster and I would like to continue to do so.

So why should you BEWARE of Biomass Direct LLC ?  Well,….. as they operated Timber Ridge they promised you a 20 year warranty. That’s what attracted me to their company in the first place. What I didn’t know was that they do this on a regular basis. It seems anyone in Tennessee can start a company, promise the world and then declare bankruptcy to avoid any responsibility for the products they sell and then turn right around under a new name and sell the exact same product. I’m out over $10,000.00 on a boiler because they continually produce and sell a substandard product under multiple business names all with the  protection of the Tennessee Consumer Affairs Bureau.  Why with their protection?  Well after alerting them to this issue they said there is nothing they can do. Imagine that, they can’t do anything about a company that scams consumers, declares bankruptcy to void their warranties, starts a new business and sells the same product in a different package.  What are they there for?  Believe me when the warranty issues start to arise in a few more years with the Biomass Direct or Fisher Stoves outdoor boilers, they will close up shop again and be protected from any responsibility and just start another company. You WILL have issues with any stove they sell you, it’s just a matter of when, not if!

Of course they will dispute this claim, they want your money after all…. this is what they do, they swindle people like you and me.  They’ll say I didn’t take care of it properly or burnt things other than wood, they’ll need to discredit this post. Don’t believe them!!

Save yourself a small fortune on a bad investment and look elsewhere. Make sure you check into any company that sells outdoor boilers and see how long they have been in business. If it’s only a few years stay away.  If they say they have sold units for years, ask to see a copy of their licence of incorporation or proof of DBA from a government office. Contact that states Consumer Affairs Bureau to see if they have had any complaints.

You can find a lot of interesting reading on the former Timber Ridge now Biomass Direct LLC with a simple Google search.  Here are a few links to some.

http://fahrner.us/blog-mind-of-alan/44-alan-reviews/138-free-heat-machine-29-gallons-5-moose   scroll down to the complaints

More complaints http://www.topix.com/forum/city/portage-wi/T52H4OD6QJ51B5HBK

Yet another  http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?topic=2052.0

There are more site to read and videos on Youtube to watch but I think you get the picture.

 

Above all else notice the guy in the video…. he is the same one in all the videos of Timber Ridge, Fisher Stoves and Biomass Direct,  Larry’s his name.  Ask yourself this one question if your still thinking of purchasing one of their boilers. Why would the same guy be in the videos of three different companies and one no longer exists?   If I can stop one person from giving Larry another dime on his crooked business practice with Biomass Direct and Fisher Stoves then I have accomplished way more than the Tennessee Consumer Affair Bureau has done or is willing to do.

And Larry if your reading this……  justice will find you one day, bank on it!!

If you were scammed by Larry Boyd dba  Timber Ridge please leave a comment we would love to hear from you as I’m sure a possible future customer of Biomass Direct would also.

 

Post Note: 2/24/2013

I have been getting quite a bit of feedback both here and on other forums on the net about Larry Boyd and his business practices.  I would roughly estimate that this post has stopped at least 5 sales of his outdoor boilers. Those 5 are only the ones I know of directly, hopefully we have stopped others as well that did not leave a comment or email me.  The fact that he is posting on other forums about what a great product he has means we are making a dent in his business and I couldn’t be happier. It’s to bad  Tennessee Consumer Affairs won’t step up to the plate and put him out of business.  If your still in doubt of buying one of these units please read the comments section below. If you have any information on another company name change Larry Boyd is operating please let me know so I can adjust the blog and search engine key words.   Good luck to all of you and thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment.

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MyNature Tree App Update

October 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Finally finished…… whew!!  that took along time, nearly a year. The good news though is the tree app had a major overhaul. What you’ll find in this new version.

  • We placed a quick search box on several different screens in the app. You can now search for any tree in the app in a matter of seconds.
  • There are an additional 25 species found in the app. Most of the species are from the Western part of the country.
  • We redesigned the main screen to be a little more user friendly.  Each section of the app is represented by its own icon, just select the appropriate icon and your on your way.
  • There is now a journal feature where you can keep all your field notes or a diary of your outside adventures. Save your text and photo entries.
  • We’ve also added a Life List where you can check off each species you’ve identified. You can add multiple entries for each species.
  • The question section of the app was tweaked just a little  for better navigation.

This new update brings out total species number to around 225 trees found  color, profile, range map and  illustrated drawing.

Enjoy, and remember………….. every day is Earth Day!!

 

 

 

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2012 Tree App Update

September 1, 2012 by 1 Comment

It seems like forever and a day ago that I started the MyNature Tree Guide update.  Well….. I can finally say it’s done and should be out in the app store in a couple weeks. So what’s new in this upate?  Quite a bit actually. We redesigned the whole user interface over to make it a little more attractive when navigating the main page and sub pages in the identification section.tree huggers We’ve added an additional 25 trees found throughout North America, most of the new additions are Western species. You’ll also find a quick search box on several of the pages in the app. Now if you have an idea of what species your trying to identify you can do a quick search of the app to locate that tree. We’ve also added a Life List feature and a journal section to keep your discoveries and field notes right inside the app.  Within the next year we’ll be adding an additional 100 species to the app to bring our total tree list up around 340 species.  We hope you enjoy the new update and thank you for your support over the past three years.

 

             Show a tree a little love : )

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Species Images

August 12, 2012 by 1 Comment

Helleborine images I showed a close up of an individual flower in the raceme as well as the entire cluster.  If for example this plant had compound leaves then I would have done a full shot of the entire leaf and then an image of an individual leaflet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Toothed Cinquefoil ….. you can see I did two different leaf views as these were shapped a little different from one plant to the next.       You really can’t have enough different views, but if I think I can show a flower better with two shots of the flower head or leaf I will. Case in point….. think of Fringed Loosestrife. The best image to show is the natural one looking down on it as it droops you see the bracts but I also did an image from what it looks like from the front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple samples of clustered flowers and how I would approach images of them.

This is Live-forever a rounded clustered flower. I would capture the entire cluster as well as a single flower of that cluster.

 

Of course I would also include the leaf and profile view as well.

 

 

 

 

Pretty much the same scenario as above but an elongated cluster and then one flower from that cluster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current list of species images collected as of 11/1/2014

Achillea millefolium yarrow
Actaea pachypoda white baneberry
Agalinus paupercula small flowered geradia
Agrimonia gryposepala agrimony
Agrimonia striata woodland agrimony
Alliaria officinalis garlic mustard
Allium tricoccum wild leek
Amaranthus hybridus slender amaranth
Amaranthus retroflexus green amaranth
Ambrosia artemisiifolia common ragweed
Ambrosia vulgaris common mugwort
Amphicarpa bracteata hog peanut
Anagallis arvensis Pimpernel
Anaphalis margaritacea pearly everlasting
Anemone cylindrica long-fruited anemone
Anemone quinquefolia wood anemone
Anemone virginiana tall anemone
Anemonella thalictroides rue anemone
Anthemis arvensis field chamomile
Anthemis cotula stinking chamomile
Aquilegia canadensis Wild Columbine
Aquilegia vulgaris Garden columbine
Arenaria groenlandica mountain sandwort
Arenaria serpyllifolia  thyme-leaved sandwort
Arisaema atrorubens jack in the pulpit
Artemisia vulgaris common mugwort
Asclepias syriaca common milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed
Aster acuminatus mountain aster
Aster cordifolius heart-leaved aster
Aster divaricatus white wood aster
Aster lateriflorus  calico aster
Aster linariifolius stiff aster
Aster nemoralis bog aster
Aster novae-angliae new england aster
Aster novi-belgii new york aster
Aster radula rough-leaved aster
Aster sagittifolius arrow-leaved aster
Aster tenuifolius large salt marsh aster
Aster umbellatus flat-topped aster
Atriplex patula Orach, Spearscale
Barbarea vulgaris common winter cress
Bidens frondosa beggar ticks
Brassica kaber charlock
Brassica nigra black mustard
Calopogon pulchellus Grass pink
Caltha palustris marsh marigold
Calypso bulbosa calypso orchid
Campanula aparinoides marsh bellflower
Campanula rapunculoides  creeping bellflower
Campanula rotundifolia harebell
Cardamine douglassii Purple cress
Cassia hebecarpa wild senna
Caulophyllum thalictroides Blue cohosh
Centaurea jacea brown knapweed
Centaurea maculosa spotted knapweed
Cerastium fontanum mouseear chickweed
Chaenorrhinum minus Dwarf snapdragon
Chelidonium majus celandine
Chelone glabra turtlehead
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum oxeye daisy
Chrysopsas Falcota sickle-leaved golden aster
Chrysopsis mariana Maryland golden aster
Cichorium intyhus chickory
Cicuta maculata water hemlock
Cimicifuga racemosa black snakeroot
Circaea alpina dwarf enchanters nightshade
Circaea quadrisulcata enchanters nightshade
Cirsium arvense canadian thistle
Cirsium discolor field thistle
Cirsium vulgare bull thistle
Claytonia virginica spring beauty
Clematis virginiana virgin’s bower
Clintonia borealis yellow clintonia
Commelina communis dayflower
Conopholis americana Squawroot
Convolvulus sepium hedge bindweed
Convolvulus spitharmaeus Upright bindweed
Coptis groenlandica goldthread
Coreopsis lanceolata lance leaved coreopsis
Cornus canadensis bunchberry
Coronilla varia crown vetch
Cunila origanoides dittany (False Oregano)
Cuscutata gronovi common dodder
Cypripedium acaule pink ladies slipper
Cypripedium candidum Small white lady’s slipper
Cypripedium reginae showy lady’s slipper
Dalibarda repens dewdrop
Daucus carota queen annes lace
Decodon verticillatus water willow
Dentaria diphylla Toothwort
Dentaria laciniata Cutleaf Toothwort
Desmodium canadense showy tick trefoil
Desmodium paniculatum panicled tick trefoil
Dianthus armeria deptford pink
Dianthus deltoides maiden pink
Dicentra canadensis Squirrel corn
Dicentra cucullaria dutchman’s britches
Diodia teres buttonweed
Drosera rotundifolia round-leaved sundew
Echinacea purpurea  purple coneflower
Echinocystis lobata wild cucumber
Echium vulgare viper’s bugloss
Epigaea repens mayflower, trailing arbutus
Epilobium coloratum purple leaved willow herb
Epilobium coloratum wild basil
Epilobium glandulosum northern willow herb
Epipactis helleborine helleborine
Erechtites hieracifolia fireweed
Erigeron annuus daisy fleabane
Erigeron canadensis horseweed
Erigeron strigosus lesser daisy fleabane
Eriocaulon septangulare common pipewort
Erysimum cheiranthoides wormseed
Erythronium americanum trout lily
Euchornia crassipes  water hyacinth
Eupatorium hyssopifolium thoroughwort
Eupatorium maculatum spotted joe pyeweed
Eupatorium perfoliatum boneset
Eupatorium rugosum white snakeroot
Euphorbia cyrarassias Crypress spurge
Euphorbia esula leafy spurge
Euphrasia nemorosa eyebright
Fagopyrum sagittatum  Buckwheat
Frugaria viriniana wild strawberry
Gaillardia aristata common blanket flower
Galeopsis bifida split-lipped hemp-nettle
Galium asprellum rough bedstraw
Galium boreale Northern Bedstraw
Galium mollugo wild madder
Galium verum Yellow bedstraw
Gentiana linearis narrow-leaved gentain
Geranium maculatum wild geranium
Geranium robertianum Herb Robert
Gerardia pedicularia fern-leaved false foxglove
Gerum aleppicum yellow avens
Geum canadense white avens
Geum rivale purple avens
Glechoma hederacea ground ivy
Gratiola aurea golden hedge hyssop
Habenaria psycodes smaller purple fringed orchid
Helenium autumnale sneezeweed
Helenium nudiflorum purple-headed sneezeweed
Helianthemum canadense frost weed
Helianthus annuus common sunflower
Helianthus decapetulus thin-leaved sunflower
Helianthus divaricatus woodland sunflower
Helianthus gigantus giant sunflower
Helianthus strumosus pale-leaved sunflower
Helianthus tuberosus jeruselem artichoke
Heliopsis helianthoides False sunflower
Hemerocallis fulva day lily
Hepatica acutiloba sharp lobed hepatica
Hepatica americana Round lobed hepatica
Heracleum maximum cow parsnip
Hesperis matronalis dames rocket
Hibiscus palustris swamp rose mallow
Hieracium canadense Canada hawkweed
Hieracium pilosella mouse ear
Hieracium scabrum rough hawkweed
Houstonia caerulea Quaker ladies
Hueracium aurantiacum orange hawkweed
Hydrophyllum virginianum Virginia waterleaf
Hypericum ellipticum pale st. johnswort
Hypericum perforatum st. johnswort
Hypericum punctatum spotted st. johnswort
Hypericum virginicum marsh st. johnswort
Hypochoeris radicata cat’s ear
Ilex verticullata winterberry
Impatiens capensis spotted touch-me-not
Impatiens glandulifera ornamental jewelweed
Impatiens pallida pale touch-me-not
Iris versicolor Large blue flag iris
Iris versicolor northern blue iris
Jasione montana Sheeps bit
Jeffersonia diphylla Twin leaf
Lathyrus latifolius everlasting pea
Leontodon autumnalis fall dandelion
Leonurus cardiaca motherwort
Lepidium virginicum wild peppergrass
Lespedeza capitata round-headed bush clover
Lespedeza hirta hairy bushclover
Lespedeza procumbens downy trailing bushclover
Leucojum vemum Spring snowflake
Lilium canadense canada lily
Limonium nashii sea lavender
Linaria canadensis Toadflax
Linaria vulgaris butter-and-eggs
Linnaea borealis Twinflower
Lobelia cardinalis cardinal flower
Lobelia inflata indian tobacco
Lobelia kalmii kalm’s lobelia
Lobelia spicata spiked lobelia
Lonicera hirsuta hairy honeysuckle
Lonicera japonica asian honeysuckle
Lotus corniculatus Birds foot trefoil
Lupinus perennis Wild lupine
Lupinus polyphyllus common lupine
Lychnis alba white campion
Lychnis flos-cuculi Ragged robin
Lysimachia ciliata fringed loosestrife
Lysimachia nummularia moneywort
Lysimachia punctate Garden loosestrife
Lysimachia quadrifolia whorled loosestrife
Lysimachia terrestris swamp candles
Lysimachia thrysifolia tufted loosestrife
Lythrum alatum winged loosestrife
Lythrum salicaria purple loosestrife
Maianthemum canadense canada mayflower
Malva alcea vervain mallow
Malva moschata Musk mallow
Malva neglecta Common mallow
Matricaria matricarioides pineapple weed
Medeola virginiana indian cucumber root
Medicago lupulina black medick
Melampyrum lineare Cowwheat
Melilotus alba tall white sweet clover
Melilotus officinalis yellow sweet clover
Mentha arvensis wild mint
Mertensia virginica Virginia bluebells
Mikania scandens climbing hempweed
Mitchella repens patridgeberry
Mitella nuda Naked miterwort
Monarda didyma bee balm
Monarda fistulosa wild bergamot
Monotropa uniflora indian pipe
Myosotis laxa smaller forget-me-not
Myosotis scorpioides true forget-me-not
Myostis laxa forget me not
Nepeta cataria catnip
Nuphar variegatum  yellow pond lily
Nymphaea odorata sweet-scented water lily
Oenothera biennis evening primrose
Oenothera cruciata cross-shaped evening primrose
Oenothera fruticosa small sundrops
Origanum vulgare wild marjoram
Ornithogalum umbellatum Star of Bethlehem
Orobanche uniflora Cancerroot
Oxalis europaea yellow wood sorrel
Panax trifolium Dwarf ginseng
Pastinaca sativa wild parsnip
Pedicularis canadensis Wood Betony
Penstemon digitalis foxglove beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis white beardtongue
Phlox maculata Wild sweet williams
Phlox paniculata garden phlox
Phlox subulata Moss phlox
Physalis virginiana virginia ground cherry
Phytolacca americana pokeweed
Picris hieraciodies hawkweed oxtongue
Pilea pumila clearweed
Plantago lanceolata english plantain
Plantago major common plantain
Pogonia ophioglossoides rose pogonia
Polygala paucifolia gaywings
Polygala polygama racemed milkwort
Polygala sanguinea purple milkwort
Polygonum amphibium water smartweed
Polygonum hydropiper common smartweed
Polygonum pensylvanicum pink knotweed
Polygonum persicaria ladys thumb
Polygonum sagittatum arrow-leaved tearthumb
Polygonum viviparum alpine bisort
Pontederia cordata pickerelweed
Portulaca oleracea purslane
Potentilla arguta tall cinquefoil
Potentilla fruticosa shrubby cinquefoil
Potentilla norvegica rough cinquefoil
Potentilla palustris marsh cinquefoil
Potentilla recta sulphur cinquefoil
Potentilla simplex common cinquefoil
Potentilla tridentata three-toothed cinquifoil
Prenanthes boottii Boott’s rattlesnake root
Prunella vulgaris self-heal
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium narrow-leaved mountain mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum virginia mountainmint
Pyrola elliptica shinleaf
Ranunculus acris tall buttercup
Ranunculus ficaria Lesser celandine
Ranunculus reptans creeping spearwort
Rhexia virginica meadow beauty
Rhinanthus minor yellow rattle
Rosa blanda smooth rose
Rubus flagellaris Dewberry
Rubus hispidus swamp dewberry
Rudbeckia hirta black eyed susan
Rudbeckia laciniata tall coneflower
Rudbeckia triloba thin leaved coneflower
Rumex crispus curled dock
Rumex obtusifolius broad-leaved dock
Sagittaria latifolia common arrowhead
Sagittaria rigida Sessile-fruited arrowhead
Sanguinaria canadensis bloodroot
Sanguisorba canadensis canadian burnet
Sanicula gregaria clustered snakeroot
Saponaria officinalis bouncing bet
Sarracenia purpurea pitcher plant
Satureja vulgaris wild basil
Scutellaria elliptica hairy skullcap
Scutellaria epilobiifolia marsh skullcap
Sedum purpureum live-forever
Senecio aureus golden ragwort
Senecio oboratus Round leaved ragwort
Senecio robinsii robbins’ ragwort
Silphium perfoliatum cup plant
Sisyrinchium angustifolium blue eyed grass
Sium suave water-parsnip
Smilacina racemosa false solomons seat
Solanum dulcamara bittersweet nightshade
Solanum nigrum black nightshade
Solidago bicolor silverrod
Solidago cutleri alpine goldenrod
Solidago flexicaulis zigzag goldenrod
Solidago gigantea late goldenrod
Solidago graminifolia lance-leaved goldenrod
Solidago juncea early goldenrod
Solidago rugosa rough-stemmed goldenrod
Solidago sempervirens seaside goldenrod
Solidago tenuifolia slender-leaved goldenrod
Sonchus arvensis field sow thistle
Sonchus asper spiny-leaved sow thistle
Sparganium androcladum branching burr reed
Spergularia rubra Sand spurrey
Spiranthes cernua nodding ladies’ tresses
Stellaria alsine bog chickweed
Stellaria graminea lesser stitchwort
Streptopus rosecus rosy bells
Strophostyles umbellata pink wild bean
Symphyotrichum pilosum awl aster
Symplocarpus foetidus skunk cabbage
Tanacetum vulgare common tansy
Taraxacum officinale Common dandelion
Thalictrum pubescens tall meadowrue
Thlaspi arvense Field Penny Cress
Tiarella cordifolia foamflower
Tovara virginiana jumpseed
Tradescantia virginiana spiderwort
Trientalis borealis starflower
Trifolium agrarium hop clover
Trifolium arvense rabbit-foot clover
Trifolium pratense red clover
Trifolium repens white clover
Trillium erectum Red trilliuum
Trillium grandiflorum white trillium
Trillium luteum Yellow trillium
Trillium undulatum painted trillium
Tussilago farfara coltsfoot
Urtica procera tall nettle
Utricularia cornata horned bladderwort
Uvalaria grandiflora large-flowered bellwort/big merrybells
Uvalaria sessilifolia sessile leaved bellwort
Vaccinium oxycoccos Small cranberry
Valeriana officinalis garden valerian
Var. pubescens Large yellow lady’s slipper
Veratrum viride False hellebore
Verbascum blatteria Moth mullein
Verbascum thapsus common mullein
Verbena hastata blue vervain
Verbena urticifolia white vervain
Vernonia novaboracensis New York ironweed
Veronica arvensis Corn speedwell
Veronica chamaedrys birdseye speedwell
Veronica officinalis common speedwell
Veronica persica Persian speedwell
Veronica scutellata marsh speedwell
Veronica serpyllifolia Thyme leaved speedwell
Vicia cracca cow vetch
Vicia sativa Spring vetch
Vinca minor Pokeweed
Viola affinis LaConte’s violet
Viola blanda Sweet White violet
Viola canadensis canada violet
Viola conspersa dog violet
Viola cucullata Marsh Blue violet
Viola pallens Northern white violet
Viola pensylvanica smooth yellow violet
Viola rostrata Long-spurred violet
Viola rotundifloia Round leaved violet
Viola septentrionalis northern blue violet
Viola tricolor Johnny jumpups
Waldsteinia fragariodes Barren strawberry

Filed Under: App News and Information

SUMMER APP SALE !!

July 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Summer 2012 is so hot just to cool it off a bit we’re putting all our nature apps on sale for a limited time for just .99 cents.

 

MyNature Apps

.99 cents

Filed Under: App News and Information Tagged With: , ,
June 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The cold icy winter just a memory in my mind
sweat rolls down my neck June brings sweltering heat with the muggy blackness of the night,
air so thick you’d swear you could hold on to it and pull your self up,
I listen to the stillness of my world and gaze upon the distant ridge, faded stars speckle the heavy summer sky.
Flickers of light dance across the meadow
100, 1000, 1 million…….. I can’t count.
It’s hard to tell where the meadow ends and the summer sky begins.
I wonder Memories of mayonnaise jars filled with grass 
simple times.
Fond memories of a bug,
that surely sounds strange…. fond memories of a bug!

But tonight I’m a child again, watching the stars dance across the June sky.
I heard said “if you stand really still, they’ll land on you”

Simpler times, hot June nights.

https://www.mynatureapps.com/1747/

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