EYES ON THE FIELD uses the OAAK digital tool to facilitate participatory, place-based, species-quests in various landscapes. Take a photograph of a plant, insect or animal that you see outside, and the tool will lead the way towards additional species quests. Try to collect as many different species as you can in a timed-quest or simply explore the landscape while noticing the organisms and environmental patterns that are not visible without looking or listening closely. Based on photos you take and the location of your phone, the OAAK Large Language Model (LLM) will suggest instructions and activities for looking, listening and identifying the organisms that populate the specific landscape you are in.
The goal of EYES ON THE FIELD is to increase the number of humans who are visiting, experiencing and noticing biodiversity, especially in and around farms and rural landscapes. Using AI is a way to reskill humans in the art of environmental noticing—looking, listening and identifying species and ecological patterns that are less familiar to urban inhabitants.
Originally designed as a citizen-science tool for helping small farmers crowd-monitor their biodiversity indices, EYES ON THE FIELD can also be used to identify and document sites of ecological disturbance and extractive farming practices.
OAAK is a collaborative studio that designs digital tools and experiences for participatory, place-based, species-quests. Their tools can be used by citizen scientists, agrotourists and hikers to explore and document biodiversity in various landscapes.
The company is a collaboration between an Amsterdam-based artist group (Genomic Gastronomy) and a Barcelona-based SME (NiceTrails) and is currently supported by an E.U. — S+T+ARTS grant in the MUSAE consortium.