Mobile apps

CycleStreets

Cycle journey planner for cyclists, by cyclists. Plan routes from A to B anywhere in the UK, with a choice of three routing modes to suit a range of cyclists from beginner to regular commuter.

And the Photomap lets you submit photos of infrastructure problems or good practice around the UK.

Monitoring air quality using lichens

A new mobile app using lichens to assess atmospheric nitrogen pollution effects has been developed by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). The app includes some simple elements:

• Lichen identification key guide for nitrogen sensitive and tolerant species.
• Simple Recording system for surveying lichens on tree trunks and branches
• Field guide with instructions on carrying out the survey.
• Auto-calculated and robust method to determine nitrogen pollution levels using a standardised nitrogen air quality index (NAQI).
• Informs the public of their local nitrogen air quality based on four pollutant zones - 'Clean', 'At risk', 'Nitrogen Polluted’ or 'Very Nitrogen Polluted'.

This is a web app that can be used on any mobile device and through your browser. It can also be downloaded to your device and used offline.

Asian hornet watch

The Asian hornet is a predator of various invertebrates including pollinator insects and is identified as a high-risk non-native species due to its threat to native biodiversity.

BirdTrack

The BirdTrack app allows users to collect casual records on their mobile phone. Bird records can be collected, verified and then uploaded when convenient. GPS integration makes it even easier to record sightings and a helpful local hotspot viewer make this a must-have app for any birdwatcher in the UK and Ireland.

Blooms for bees

A citizen science project to promote and improve gardening for bumblebees. Download the app and visit the website to explore which bumblebee species visit gardens and allotments, and discover which flowers are bumblebee favourites.

Froglife

Identify adult reptiles and amphibians as well as their eggs, larvae and calls. Simple questionnaires, illustrations and photographs will help you identify animals, and you can compare photographs of different species to make sure you've identified the animal correctly. Report a sighting. Submit your records quickly and easily using the recording form. Use your phone's GPS function to determine your location or manually input your location.

iRecord Butterflies

Butterflies are in trouble. A third of UK species are threatened and three-quarters are in decline. Butterfly recording is the foundation for protecting these beautiful creatures. The iRecord Butterflies app helps you to identify the butterflies that you see, but also uses your sightings to help save butterflies.

Sightings will be stored within the “iRecord” website and passed onto the “Butterflies for the New Millennium” national recording scheme run by the charity Butterfly Conservation, with support from the Biological Records Centre. This long-running scheme has gathered millions of butterfly sightings that provide vital information about how the fortunes of butterflies have changed over the decades. Your sightings will be used to understand the causes of decline and to inform conservation work on the ground to help threatened species.

Scientists could not do this work without the help of people across the UK, like you, reporting when and where they find a species. Thank you for using iRecord Butterflies to help us protect these wonderful insects.

iRecord Dragonflies

Helps you identify the grasshoppers, crickets, earwigs, cockroaches and stick-insects that you see or hear, and lets you record sightings to support their study and conservation.

iRecord

iRecord app, enabling users to get involved with the biological recording of all UK species. Now you can record all the wildlife you see and contribute to scientific research and conservation.

Rare arable flowers

To help farmers, agronomists and conservationists to identify and record the UK’s most threatened plant species. The rare arable flowers app also provides practical advice on the best way to manage land for these species.

Saltmarsh

The Saltmarsh app is an easy to use tool for identifying common saltmarsh plants, birds and invertebrates. The app also provides lots of useful information on the ecology and importance of saltmarshes and the benefits they provide to humans. Users can use the app to complete a vegetation survey of their saltmarsh and make an assessment of the carbon stored in their marsh by completing a simple vegetation and soil assessment. The data collected is used to provide researchers with a better understanding of the value of saltmarshes.

Spot-a-bee

Help us with our research by identifying the bee or plant species when you record your sighting. Take a look through our visual guide - don’t worry if you’re not sure, we’ll double check!

Where to Watch Birds in Scotland

Nearly three years in the making, we're delighted to announce the launch of Where to Watch Birds in Scotland , the Club's free mobile app for Apple and Android devices.

For the first time ever, you can now download an app to discover the best places to birdwatch around Scotland and the bird species likely to be found at these sites. Some will be well known locations, others may be less familiar.

Bloomin’ Algae

Bloomin’ Algae is a citizen science app that encourages the public and water-related businesses to report the presence of harmful blooms of blue-green algae in freshwaters. The app helps speed up public health warnings and teach you how to recognise the risks to you and your pets.

Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria (also known as cyanobacteria) that occur naturally in freshwaters and can produce potent toxins, which can be very harmful to people and animals. They cause skin rashes on swimmers and are responsible for the deaths of dogs, cattle, fish and birds. They are particularly a health risk during warm summer months, when their numbers can increase to form dense blooms and scum on the surface of the water. With climate change we are seeing more and more severe blooms in our freshwaters.

See the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology website for more information on the app and how to get involved

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River obstacles

There are thousands of man-made and natural obstacles in the rivers of the UK. Many of the man-made obstacles perform important functions - for example dams, sluices, weirs and road culverts - but they can also cause problems such as restricting the movement of fish, damaging river banks and beds, and posing a hazard to people using boats, canoes and kayaks.