Do you know why the wolf howls at the moonlit night 🐺 and why the lynx bares its teeth with joy? 😺 Can you repeat the melodies that flow from the mountains? Is the downpour your sister, the stream your brother, and every living creature your companion? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," then this post is for you, because it looks like you're a child of the forest, a Viking! 🌳 We've chosen apps for nature lovers that are worth having on your phone if you don't have enough memory in your head for all the wisdom of the old Native American tribes.
Ah, the forest. The resinous scent tickles your nose invigoratingly, your feet sink into the soft needles, and sunbeams filtering through the quivering leaves dance in the undergrowth. Somewhere above, a lone bird calls melodiously... but what kind of bird is it? Are those chestnut leaves, or ash? What creature left behind that extra softness where your foot is sinking? Will the sun soon hide behind a stormy cloud? The wilderness is full of mysteries, and for ordinary mortals, especially those from the city, uncovering them on their own is beyond their capabilities. 🤯 Fortunately, new technologies come to our aid. Here are apps for nature lovers that will be useful for every budding Pocahontas and every John Smith who is looking around the land upon landing.
🧭 Compass Only 🧭
Let's start with the basics. If you're one of those people who get disoriented after two turns (and it's really easy to get lost in the woods), you absolutely must get a Compass. It's a very simple app that not only shows you the cardinal directions but also tells you your altitude and the exact sunrise and sunset times. 🌅 Just remember to place your phone flat in your palm and give the app a moment to calibrate. While the app won't replace a traditional compass, the accuracy of the direction it indicates is enough to get your bearings.
Download on Android
There are no shortage of iOS equivalents, such as Compass x
☀️ Meteo ICM ☀️
Some people can predict the weather from cloud formations or animal behavior, but it's best to trust the experts. Meteo ICM is an extremely accurate and reliable numerical weather forecast prepared by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling of the University of Warsaw. Sounds smart, right? And it is. 🤓 After entering your location, the app will provide you with a detailed weather forecast in the form of a graph, from which you can read the predicted changes in temperature, pressure, precipitation, cloud cover, and wind direction and speed for the next 60 hours. It takes some getting used to reading the diagrams, but I guarantee that after using Meteo ICM, you'll scoff at regular forecasts. Sun icons are for laypeople!
Download on Android
Download on iOS
🌩️ Storm Monitor 🌩️
A general weather forecast is one thing, but during the summer, it's good to keep an eye on a particular atmospheric enemy – thunderstorms. Cumulonimbus clouds are no joke, so it's worth knowing exactly where they are lurking. Storm Monitor allows you to track these nasty creatures, notifying you when storm cells are detected nearby and enabling a tactical retreat to a safe place before Thor's wrath descends upon you. ⚡
Download on Android
On iOS, Burzowo.info is a good equivalent.
🌌 Sky Map 🌌
Fortunately, the sky is not only a source of potential danger but also of aesthetic delight. Since we've escaped the city and have a patch of dark night sky available, it's worth swapping stargazing on TV 👩🎤 for observing the real thing. And what celestial bodies they are! With Sky Map, all you have to do is point your phone at the part of the sky you're interested in, and the screen will immediately show you the stars, constellations, planets, and even nebulae in that region! Warning, space is addictive. And it will leave you with your mouth agape in wonder... or an existential crisis. You use the sky and this app for nature lovers at your own risk!
(Of course, you'll also point your phone straight at the ground, we know you. You'll find the sky of the Southern Hemisphere there, naturally.)
Download on Android
On iOS, a good (and beautiful) equivalent is SkyView
🐦 BirdNET 🐦
We return to the troposphere, which, although it accompanies us always, how long can one watch only city pigeons, sparrows, and crows? In the wild, we have an entire feathered armada at our disposal, but spotting a bird smaller than a fist among the trees is quite a challenge. 🔍 Fortunately, this little bird usually chirps. And this is where BirdNET comes in, with its clever algorithm that can identify a bird species based on a sample of its song. All you have to do is start recording, then select the chosen segment and send it for analysis. After a moment, the app will show you the likely species of the singer and direct you to an article about it.
How does it work in practice? BirdNET performs really well! The stronger the sound source and the less background noise, the higher the probability of hitting the correct species. 🦅 The app has a clear interface, and recording and checking results is a lot of fun. You also always have access to your recording history, their locations, and the species you managed to identify at the time. This is our top app among the top apps for nature lovers!
Download on Android
Unfortunately, there is no iOS version... but all is not lost, amateur ornithologist! For those who want to try their hand at visual bird identification, 📷 we recommend Merlin Bird ID, available on both apples and androids.
🌿 Plant Atlas 🌿
Plants are difficult to identify by their song, so you're left with analyzing their appearance. However, instead of laboriously flipping through a paper atlas in search of the correct species, you can rely on the Plant Atlas, which allows you to identify flora in two ways.
Firstly, you can upload a photo of the plant you took earlier or photograph it directly from the app (though we recommend the former option, as the latter has issues with fluidity and focus). The built-in AI will provide you with a list of probable species with a probability percentage after a moment. ☘️ The algorithm works quite well, but it's not infallible.
Secondly, you can also identify a shrub or other flower by analyzing its characteristics – the shape of the leaves, flowers, the habitat where it grows, etc. This is a good option for those who want to play detective themselves.
Download on Android
Again, there's no iOS version – but it's worth checking out the well-rated (though unfortunately English-language) equivalent PictureThis.
🍄 NaGrzyby.pl Atlas or Mushroom Book 🍄
This article couldn't be complete without an app to help you with Poles' favorite outdoor game – mushroom picking. It's a pleasant game, but dangerous enough that you can lose your life in it. 💀 Therefore, when going into the woods with the intention of gathering something for dinner, be sure to get an app that will help you distinguish edible from inedible or even poisonous species. The NaGrzyby.pl Atlas comes to the rescue, which is a mobile version of a classic atlas. Beautiful color photos and rich descriptions will help you compare the collected specimens with a database of several hundred mushrooms.
Download on Android
Another solution is the Mushroom Book, which, in addition to its function as a traditional atlas, also allows you to identify mushrooms by matching individual structural elements – the shape of the cap, stem, underside type – and the type of forest where it was collected. The app has a beautiful, drawn design ✏️ and a database of dozens of the most common mushrooms in our forests.
Download on Android
Download on iOS
‼️ Apps for Nature Lovers – The Most Important One ‼️
And finally, a real hit! An app, or rather a function, that you don't even need to download. It's already on your phone, ready to use at any time, it even has its own dedicated button. It's turning off your phone. When you're in the woods, mountains, any wilderness – put your smartphone down and just be there. The beauty of nature doesn't always have to be identified and named to be experienced. And we wish you many such experiences! 🏞️ And by the way, you'll save a few GB that you can spend on silly things at any time with Mobile Vikings. 😉
