Article by Cliff Cantor, “Trees PNW” app developer
Can’t tell a Douglas-fir from western hemlock? Does your tree book have too many non-intuitive choices that make it hard to identify native Pacific Northwest trees?
There’s a new smartphone app called “Trees PNW” that is free in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Select one of these links to download the app or visit the app store for your phone and search for “Trees PNW.”
Once you’ve opened the app the first time, you can use it anywhere with no internet connection required.
The home page of the app includes user-centric learning tools and filters like conifer, broadleaf, west side, east side, and elevations to help you narrow your search.
The app “Trees PNW” is unique and intuitive and focuses on features of trees that users are likely to spot first.
Tapping on a particular tree brings up a series of easy-to-spot distinguishing features, referred to by the app as “IDs.” The IDs mirror how people actually recognize trees, up close or at a distance.
The app attempts to arrange the IDs in order of usefulness to you. The most useful ID is presented first, then the second-most useful, and so on. The exact order that you use the IDs may vary depending on whether it is summer or winter and whether the foliage is at eye level or far above you.
Each ID consists of a short caption, a great photo, and additional text for further reading.
As an example, the first page of Douglas-fir says, “ID 1: ‘mousetails’”. This page has a close-up photo of a cone on a Douglas-fir, and below the photo is additional text describing the “mousetail” bracts that look like the tail and hind legs of a mouse.
Swiping to the right, the next page of Douglas-fir says, “ID 2: deeply plowed bark” and has a photo showing the bark, again with additional text. Altogether, there are 12 photos for Douglas-fir.
The last page for each tree consists of text that tells about the range, size, ecosystem, related tree species, and uses of the tree.
The app enables the user to explore information in several ways:
- quickly swipe right to scan the ID captions and photos;
- scroll down on any page to find more information;
- press on hyperlinked words or phrases (shown in blue) to visit a glossary and FAQs with scientific reading about tree biology and natural history.
This app is a great opportunity for just about anyone, regardless of experience in tree identification, to make friends with the native trees on your property or public lands throughout the Pacific Northwest. For more information about the app, visit www.treespnw.com or contact Cliff Cantor at cliff@TreesPNW.com.
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Cliff Cantor, the author and photographer, is a lifelong amateur naturalist who is more comfortable in the woods or mountains than on a street corner. He and his wife have built and repaired trails throughout Washington as long-time volunteers with WTA. Cliff has a scientific background and loves to empower adults, kids, and especially his grandkids to appreciate the natural world.
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