We’ve all heard the complaint that technology ruins real life. CJ Hirshfield argues this way:
I happen to live very close to both an international airport and a bird sanctuary. Both fascinate me. While I’m a big proponent of ditching screens and interacting with the real world around us, I’ve come to believe that screens can actually be used to enhance your experience in the great outdoors.
On my daily walk along the coastline, the sky is always full of birds and planes.
I am trying to learn to identify the many shorebirds that regularly migrate through the bay. So, to someone relatively new to birdwatching, the Oriental Sandpiper looks like a Wibrel, which is similar to the Red-breasted Plover. They can be distinguished by their appearance, behavior, and sound. When you need it, you can whip out your bird identification app and follow the steps to describe your bird, send a photo, or record its song to quickly name it. It’s magic.
Also, if you pass by a plant you’ve never seen before, there’s another app that lets you snap a photo of the specimen for instant recognition. Yet another app aims to help users “explore and connect with nature” by taking a photo of any living thing (insects are really fun) and identifying it for you. You can then share your observations with your local community for discussion and validation. Your sightings will be reviewed as research grade and may be shared with scientists working to understand and protect nature.