birdwatch

Birds are very important! Find some around you, then spot them in the wild!

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Inspiration

The world has lots of wanna-be bird watchers and nature experts, including us, that understand how daunting it can be to actually gain familiarity with your local ecosystem. This app aims to fix that. Simply locate yourself on the map (whether you're at home or traveling) and you'll be presented with a list of birds seen recently in the area, including pictures, where they've been seen last, and a short description. Get directed to local hotspots where you have the best chance of seeing some birds. Follow the link to wikipedia to read more details, hear bird song, etc!

What it does

You can drag around the google map to pinpoint a location and obtain a list of the most common bird species seen at that location + facts/pictures of these animals.

How we built it

We made a webapp using react + redux. We also used the Google maps API to generate a map and the ebird api to access bird species information.

Challenges we ran into

  • working, coordinating and being motivated under remote conditions
  • not all team members were familiar with underlying technology like redux.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • We like the front-end design!
  • It's pretty bug free - It has one job and it does it well!

What we learned

  • Google maps API in javascript should probably just be used in javascript and not react
  • redux is useful! it was pivotal in separating presentation logic from request/API logic, sharing state between the map and the results, and caching results for instant loading.

What's next for birdwatch

  • Show bird hotspots near you on the map! This feature will be part of the EBirds API we're using.
  • Make a game out of it - you can collect points by taking pics/recording birds, have it verified, and contribute your observations!
  • Incorporate bird song audio clips directly on the site!
  • Expand to plants and animals! More facts for each to help you identify and understand them. Learn about your entire ecosystem.

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