WILLEMSTAD - Have you ever wondered what kind of species you are seeing around you? A beautiful lizard, flower, or sea turtle? You can now easily check by taking a photo with your smartphone and uploading it on to the ObsIdentify app for identification. Residents and visitors on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Maarten (Dutch and French side) and St. Eustatius can now download the ObsIdentify app for free.    

Around 3,000 Dutch Caribbean animals and plants have been added to the automatic species recognition tool called ObsIdentify, using data from Observation.org, Dutch Caribbean Species Register and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This app allows residents and visitors of the Dutch Caribbean islands to learn more about the diverse wild flora and fauna, both on land and in the sea. This updated version of ObsIdentify was created in collaboration with the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA), Naturalis Biodiversity Center and Observation International and is funded by the Netherlands Biodiversity Information Facility (NLBIF).   

Multilingual  

With the ObsIdentify app, users are now able to upload photos of plants or animals for easy identification. ObsIdentify is available in English, Spanish, Dutch, French, and German, depending on the language setting of your smartphone. Together with local experts, species names have also been made available in Papiamentu (Bonaire and Curaçao) and Papiamento (Aruba). Thewebsite associated with the ObsIdentify app is also available in Papiamentu and Papiamento. Users can help improve the app by sending (missing) local species names to research@DCNAnature.org.  

Fun tips  

The ObsIdentify app not only helps you learn more about nature, but your photos also contribute to nature conservation. Each photo taken adds to a global database to improve biological research and knowledge about nature. This app is meant for photos of native plants and animals. So please do not upload pictures of yourself, other people, pets, or home and garden plants. Your uploaded photos also help to train and further improve the automated species recognition tool. Make sure to create an account and save your sightings.    

Boost your discovery skills with fun tips for finding new species. In addition, you can earn badges and join challenges, you can even create groups with family, friends, or colleagues to share amazing photos. During your discoveries, make sure to respect nature. Do not disturb or damage any of the natural habitats and follow the conservation rules and regulations. Remember, take only  photos and leave only footprints.    

Get the know the nature around you    

If you are interested, you can download ObsIdentify for free from the App Store or Google Play. Keep an eye on the Facebook pages of Carmabi- Curaçao, Nature Foundation St. Maarten, la Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin, Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba, STENAPA St Eustatius, Saba Conservation Foundation and Tera Barra Bonaire for various hikes in which you can test the app. For more information about ObsIdentify, visit https://observation.org/apps/obsidentify/ or check DCNA's Facebook or Instagram.