The Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust (ORCT) has launched the world’s first renosterveld mobile phone app, called Field Guide to Renosterveld. This allows you to identify 1 600 plant and animal species during your renosterveld adventures, all in the palm of your hand.
The app is based on the printed Field Guide to Renosterveld of the Overberg, released in 2020. The book contained over 1 100 species, of which just 14% were animals. The app builds on this and now contains over 1 600 species, of which 30% are animals that feature over 350 invertebrate photographs.
According to lead author and CEO of the ORCT, Dr Odette Curtis-Scott, the launch of this new app couldn’t come at a more important time for renosterveld. “The Field Guide to Renosterveld of the Overberg aimed to make threatened renosterveld more accessible to people. It is our hope that the app will add substantially to our heartfelt endeavors to make renosterveld even more accessible and loveable to everyone.
You don’t need to travel far to discover a whole world of treasures that live in the small fragments of renosterveld you’ll find spread across the Overberg.”
The experts behind the app
Co-authors to the app include ecologists who know and love renosterveld: The ORCT’s Conservation Manager, Grant Forbes as well as co-authors from the book version, Prof Charles Stirton and Rhoda McMaster. The app was created by designer mydigitalearth.com, who also created the apps for Sasol eBirds Southern Africa, Insects of South Africa, Sibley Birds (American field guide) and several other nature field guides.
The printed field guide took five years to complete and is based on 15 years of work in renosterveld. Work on the app, which includes 12 taxonomic groups, has taken another two years. According to Odette, “This shows the incredible amount of knowledge that app users can now easily access on their phones.”
Your list:
You can also use the app to log your observations of any of the species listed on the app. Here you can include where and when you saw the species, to start collecting data on your own renosterveld explorations.
Co-author Grant Forbes says the app is ideal for those on the move. “Hikers, nature lovers and citizen scientists can really make use of this tool, given that they are likely to take their phones with them during their adventures. The amount of information included on each species really brings renosterveld to life – and also shows just how threatened many of these species are.”
He adds that the app is also a powerful tool to showcase the diversity of renosterveld to land users. “It’s also for the custodians of the remaining renosterveld – landowners and land users, to really connect with and enjoy the gems that depend on the remaining renosterveld islands.”
The Field Guide to Renosterveld app features:
- An introduction to renosterveld
- A detailed description of the ecology of renosterveld
- Plant descriptions, divided into Ferns, Dicots, Monocots and Mosses & Liverworts
- Amphibians, fish and reptiles of renosterveld
- Over 100 insect and 35 arachnid families described, featuring photographs of over 340 species
- Photographs of 70 of the bird species you’ll find in renosterveld and surrounding farmlands
- And 37 mammals of renosterveld
BUY AND DOWNLOAD YOUR APP: here’s how:
The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store – and is called Field Guide to Renosterveld by mydigitalearth.com.
It’s available for just R249.99, and any future updates and improvements will be automatically updated on your version too.