If you aren’t very familiar with trees, or just like learning new things, and have an iPhone, you’ll be interested to know about an app we just read about on the Missouri Community Forestry Council’s blog called LEAFSNAP.
LEAFSNAP was created by scientists at Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institute, to help researchers find new species in habitats identified as “relatively unknown.” However, one of LEAFSNAP’s creators noted that this app “can be used by the public to get to know the plant diversity in their own backyards,” as well.
According to the Missouri Community Forestry Council’s blog, all users need to do is photograph the trees they want to identify, and then each photo will be added to the LEAFSNAP database. Users are jointly helping map tree locations throughout the U.S. while also helping researchers monitor tree populations and patterns of disease among other things.
You can find more information about LEAFSNAP on the iTunes website, where it can be downloaded for free.
Images from itunes.apple.com