December 17, 2025
We are undertaking a major revision of our data collection app to make it easier and more fun to track plant and animal seasonal activity! The new app will also feature new challenges, badges, social sharing, and will be offered in Spanish as well as English.
What's changing?
The new Nature's Notebook app will have all the same core features as the current app for making observations.
We will be adding features that have long been requested by Nature's Notebook users, including:
- The ability to see previously submitted observations, including those collected by other members of a Local Phenology Program
- Phenophase photos that show the life cycle stage for a particular species (these will be available for most commonly observed species in the initial release; the remainder to be added later)
- The ability to submit photos along with your observation (via an integration with iNaturalist)
- Precise locations of plants (adding latitude & longitude for individuals) and a map to view plant locations
- The ability to manage sites, plants, and animals in the app
Other key changes include:
New Levels for protocols
- We are implementing a leveled approach to observing. This new feature will allow for an easier onboarding process for new observers, focusing on simple phenophases at first and then adding more complex phenophases and intensity questions later on.
- You will be able to select from three levels when making observations. For plants:
- Level 1 includes questions about only the simplest phenophases, typically Leaves, Flowers or flower buds, and Fruits. This is ideal for new observers or youth.
- Level 2 includes all phenophases. This is designed for observers who have experience, but may not want to answer intensity questions.
- Level 3 includes all phenophases and intensity questions (which matches the current Nature's Notebook app). This is ideal for experienced observers who want to answer all questions.
- For animals:
- Level 1 includes 1-3 of the simplest phenophases.
- Level 2 includes slightly more difficult phenophases and abundance question.
- Level 3 includes all phenophases and abundance question.
- You will have the option to choose a default Level, but you can change it whenever you want.
Nested phenophases
- For phenophases that are dependent on one another, you'll need to answer "yes" to the parent phenophase to answer "yes" for the child phenophase (example: You must answer "yes" for Flowers or flower buds before you can answer "yes" or "not sure" for Open flowers; A "no" response for Flowers for flower buds will result in an automatic "no" for open flowers)
- This will improve data quality and reduce the initial set of phenophase questions you need to answer
We will also make changes to reduce confusion and remove questions that place unnecessary burden on observers, including:
- Removing questions about snow cover and some questions about site characteristics
- Removing the intensity question for increasing leaf size
- Ensuring the online interface accessible via web browser matches the interface of the app
- Replacing the complete/incomplete status on the Review calendar with improved features to see your past observations
- Updating animal search methods to include only stationary and walking searches, in addition to incidental observations
Timeline
The first release of the new app will be in March 2026. This release will focus on core observation functionality and features.
Check back on this page for an update on the timeline. We will have subsequent releases of the app with additional features in the next few years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the old app be replaced, or will it still be available after the new app launches?
The old app will still be available to use on your device for a limited period of time after we release the new app, though it will no longer be supported with updates going forward. Note that the old app will no longer be available for download in the app store once the new app is launched.
Will the new app be supported on my old Android/iPhone device?
Yes, the new app will be supported on all mobile devices.
What do the new levels mean for data quality? Will the data from these levels be treated differently in the database?
There will be a field in the database that indicates the level at which the observation was made. Our intention is that if observers are not confident about answering the full set of phenophases and intensity questions, they will use Levels 1 or 2. This will result in higher data quality across all observations.
How will I be able to add locations for plants?
When registering a new plant, you’ll be able to enter the location (by using your current location if you are right next to the plant, or moving a pin on the map to the plant's location). We will have a way to walk you through adding locations for existing plants.
When will the new app be available in Spanish?
We anticipate that the Spanish language version of the app will be available in the second or third release, likely in 2027-2028.
Do you have questions about the app? Email [email protected]
Give your input on new app features!
We are looking for a group of individuals who are willing to complete short surveys about the app as it is developed. Your input will help to shape the new app and ensure your preferences are considered!