Connecting to Nature

There are many ways to learn about the world around us, as Rosie Neave discovers...

Without a doubt, spending time in nature is good for you. It’s proven to support emotional wellbeing and even gentle walks in the outdoors are good for our physical health. While it’s lovely to immerse oneself in a whole grand landscape of sights, smells and sounds, it sometimes pays to take a more concentrated look at the small details too. I’m a great believer in finding practical ways to enjoy the natural world and advances in the digital world can play a significant role in this pursuit. Nature and technology might not immediately be common bedfellows, but there’s no reason why they can’t be mutually compatible and work together to unlock some of the mysteries taking place right under our noses.

Colourful hoopoes arrive from southern Spain and Africa each year

If we imagine a natural landscape such as a meadow or woodland as a painted canvas, technology can help us see the individual brushstrokes that make up a great masterpiece. It enables the overall beauty of nature to be broken down into individual pieces of wonder to create a much more nuanced experience. Over the past year, I’ve been experimenting with different apps on my mobile phone to gain a deeper sense of the natural world. While some are admittedly better than others, I’ve been impressed by how they’ve been able to help fine-tune my senses and guide me into looking and listening more intently to what’s in front of me.

Small birds like firecrests (above) and long-tailed tits are easier to spot once their call has been identified

I grew up in rural North Lincolnshire and since moving to Vienne, I’ve been quietly surprised by the different varieties of plant, animal and bird life that can be found here. The rich migrant bird population has opened my eyes to species that I didn’t know before and whereas previously I would have relied on my small collection of bird books or the internet to identify them, I’ve been able to add another layer of learning by using an app to recognise their calls (see my recommendations later). While I’m accustomed to the arrival of cuckoos (Cuculus canorus), hoopoes (Upupa epops), swallows (Hirundo rustica) and swifts (Apus apus) in the Spring, my app has also identified that a pair of golden orioles (Oriolus oriolus) has arrived in the field next to my garden. On top of this, the app has helped me to look for individual birds once I’ve been able to isolate their calls. Small birds such as short-toed treecreepers (Certhia brachydactyla), firecrests (Regulus ignicapilla) and long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus) are much easier to see when you can hear them somewhere around you.

Pyramidal orchids (Anacamptis pyramidalis) brighten many meadows

Using technology can make nature more accessible to those who perhaps don’t feel very confident outdoors. My two children, aged nine and ten, aren’t the most enthusiastic countryside walkers, but I’ve found that by using apps when we’re out and about they can engage with their surroundings in a way that they find interesting. It’s my hope that by using such a lighttouch way of learning, they’ll come to appreciate nature in a more holistic way. I’ve noticed that as the plants and flowers have flourished into life with the warm weather, we’re using a plant identification app a lot more, whereas during the damp autumn and winter months, they enjoyed looking at and identifying the mushrooms and toadstools that they found. Magpie Inkcaps (Coprinopsis picacea), Black Witches’ Butter (Exidia glandulosa) and Golden Jelly fungus (Tremella mesenterica) were all firm favourites. Using technology immerses them into nature in a way that I’m unable to do on my own. It stimulates their senses, encourages them to look more closely at what’s in front of them and creates meaning as they begin to understand more about the delicate ecosystems that the world relies on.

PlantNet (free, iOS & Android)

This is easy to use and invaluable for learning more about wildflowers and plants. Using photography, the app suggests what you may be seeing, along with a percentage likelihood of it being that plant. It also provides a list of links for further information.

Merlin Bird ID (free, iOS & Android)

Developed by Cornell University, it has a feature to identify birds by sight and another one by sound. Standing in a wood, pressing record and seeing a list appear of the birds that are singing around me feels magical. Who knew you were hearing a blackcap, a stone-curlew and a nuthatch all at the same time?

Shroomify (free, with in-app purchases, iOS & Android)

This is a fairly basic mushroom app and I wouldn’t have enough confidence in it to eat anything it identified. Having said that, it’s good fun and handy for walking through damp woodland or other fungus-rich habitats. You select different characteristics of the fungi you want to identify (gill shape, cap colour, size, etc.) and it provides a list of likely candidates.

CloudSpotter (€3.49, iOS only)

This is a brilliant app for those of us who live with the huge skies of south west France soaring above us. Photo-based, it helps identify different clouds and light phenomena. Users also contribute to citizen-science as data gathered by global CloudSpotters is used by NASA to help research the crucial role that clouds play in climate change.

INPN Espèces (free, iOS & Android)

This is the app from the Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel (INPN) which centralises and publishes information about geodiversity and biodiversity in France. It uses data uploaded by individuals to track and monitor flora and fauna across the country and is particularly useful for tracking invasive species. If there’s something you’re not sure about, you can upload pictures for verification by experts.

While there’s been some discussion in the media about the accuracy of some of the apps available and I wouldn’t recommend them for anything other than using them for fun (for example, it’s always better to be in the company of someone experienced and who knows what they’re doing when it comes to foraging), they are one useful tool in creating confidence and knowledge in the countryside.

On a personal note, identifying regional wildflowers, birds and even orchids has helped my French as I’ve looked up the common names in both languages. Learning species and words that relate to my new home has been an unexpected avenue of learning and joy for me since moving to Vienne and has brought me closer into the local culture.