ObsIdentify

On this page

• Is it for us?
• In the footsteps of
• Step-by-step guide
• More in-depth

Is it for us?

These questions will help you determine whether this tool is suitable for your organisation, objectives and situation.

What?
Participants can use ObsIdentify to identify animals, plants and fungi in a demarcated area. The app records observations and automatically recognises the species. These observations are then uploaded to waarneming.nl (observation.org).

What for?

• Gain insight into the biodiversity on and around your Zoöp
• Raise participants' awareness of their ecological environment

Where?
ObsIdentify can be used anywhere there is interest in the species present. It is usually most valuable on or around the Zoöp grounds.

When and how often?
ObsIdentify can be used at any time. By encouraging Zoöp team members, they could carry out regular counts. Most species are easy to identify in spring or summer, but it can also be interesting to monitor them at different times. Counting and identifying species is particularly suitable at the start of the Zoöp, or as an intermediate measurement.

How much time, money, and materials will it require?
Within minutes, multiple species can be identified. ObsIdentify is therefore also suitable for use in between other activities. For a larger count and a more intensive experience, at least half an hour is recommended.

There are no direct costs or materials required; the app is free. However, participants must have a smartphone.

Step-by-step guide

Preparation

1. Install the app: Download the ObsIdentify app for Apple or Android on your smartphone (free of charge). Launch the app and create an account on waarneming.nl (observation.org). This is necessary to permanently save your observations and view them later. Make sure you are logged in to the app.
2. Create your own area (optional): To make it easier to filter and view observations in a specific area later, it can be useful to create your own area:
   
   • Log in on Observation.org.
   • Click ‘My Observation.org’ in the main menu, and navigate to ‘My user locations’.
   • Click the big blue button ‘+ New user location’.
   • Enter a name in the field ‘Name’.
   • Draw the area on the map.

Implementation

1. Open ObsIdentify: Start the app at the location where you want to identify something.
2. Take a photo: Focus on one species per photo. Ensure sufficient light and sharpness.
3. Let the app recognise it: ObsIdentify provides an identification and a reliability score.
   If the species is not recognised, you can upload multiple photos with different perspectives. For example, with trees, leaves are easily recognised, but the trunk is not.
4. Check the species: If the score is high and you think the suggestion is correct, click on ‘Upload’.

Follow-up

1. View observations: Log in to waarneming.nl (Observation.org.) Go to ‘My observations’ to view your own observations, or search by location using the map to find observations in a specific area.
2. Filter: Use the filter options to view a period, species group or specific area (e.g. an area you created earlier).
3. Analyse data: Export data as an Excel file if desired, or use visualisations on the site (graphs, species lists) to analyse the data.

Comments
Only verified observations (by experts or with a high AI score) are stored on waarneming.nl.
Participants can work in groups: for example, have one person per group observe and upload.

More in-depth

How does it affect the user?

• Increases awareness of the living world
• Strengthens the emotional connection with the environment
• Stimulates curiosity about ecological processes

Combinations and applications
ObsIdentify is used for example within the BioBlitz. Counting can also be done during a volunteer day or a Detour.

Challenges and limitations

• Some species are more difficult to identify than others, for example based on size (small insects), how they move (birds), or where they live (fish, worms).
• In addition, ObsIdentify focuses primarily on “native” species. Keep this in mind when analysing measurements.
• To obtain a detailed overview of the numbers and (seasonal) developments of life, it is necessary to count at least twice a year.
• The analysis requires a lot of work.

Roles involved
Depending on how the app is used, someone needs to take the initiative to motivate people to use ObsIdentify. This can be done by recruiting external participants for an event or by encouraging people to count (regularly) within Zoöp.

Inspiration
Waarneming.nl and ObsIdentify are part of Observation.org, a global biodiversity platform for citizen science and monitoring.

Contact
For Zoöps: If you have any questions about the use of ObsIdentify, please contact Frank Bruggeman at Nieuwe Instituut.

For other interested parties: contact the Zoönomic Institute via hello@zoop.earth and we will put you in touch with the right person.

Sources and links
This documentation is based on a conversation with Frank Bruggeman (Nieuwe Instituut) and the Zoönomisch Instituut's own research.