Two CBIBS partners have recently released free apps for smartphones to help people connect with the Chesapeake Bay in areas including locations near CBIBS buoys.
Chesapeake Conservancy worked with the National Geographic Society, with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to create the “National Wildlife Refuges: Chesapeake Bay” app (currently available via iTunes; Android version to come). The app incorporates the popular Project Noah wildlife photo-sharing service. Using the app, visitors to national wildlife refuges in the Chesapeake area can take photos and share them with a worldwide community of wildlife enthusiasts and experts. Users can earn virtual “patches” by visiting refuges and posting photos. The app also includes information on refuge locations, maps, hours, and more.
National Park Service’s “Chesapeake Explorer” app is available in the iTunes store and in the Android Market. Based on their location, the app helps users find national and state parks, trails, and historic sites near them in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The app helps users match up their interests—like hiking, biking, bird watching—with locations in the area. And it contains lots of information on all those places, like location, hours, and other details. The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail—each marked at points by CBIBS buoys—are among the trails highlighted via this app.