Seek App & Activity for Kids

Seek is a great alternative app to iNaturalist. Seek is an app created by iNaturalist that can still identify 20,000 species just by scanning the plant, animal, or insect with your camera, but it has a few key differences.

• You don’t have to have an account; just download and start taking pictures!
• Kids can use it safely. On iNaturalist you can share information with others, but when you make an observation on Seek, the information does not leave your tablet or phone.
• It works without internet.
• You can use Seek to identify wild and cultivated species. iNaturalist is meant for wild species, so it is better to use Seek for cultivated plants such as tulips.
• Earn badges for observing different types of species and participating in challenges.
• You cannot use Seek to participate in the City Nature Challenge, as you are not sharing your observations, but it is still a fantastic way to get out and learn about the natural world around you.

The Arboretum has a fun activity kids can complete while using the Seek app on your visit or in your neighborhood. Use the Seek ID Bingo Worksheet to make identifying plants, animals, and insects into a game of Bingo!

Download the Free Seek App.    Seek User Guide

Facebook Live Learning

You can view previously recorded videos on our Facebook page, including:

• Amazing Plant Adaptation: Learn about amazing plant adaptations and a fun follow-up activity for kids.
• Tree and Leaf ID: Learn to ID several Kentucky native trees and some fun facts about them. Follow up this video with a printable Leaf & Tree ID Worksheet for kids.
• Tree Appreciation Activities: Learn fun facts about trees and how to use an app that tells you about the benefits you receive from the trees in your neighborhood. 
• Scat (a.k.a. Poop): See some Kentucky native animal scat and learn how to identify the poop you come upon while hiking in the woods. Print and draw your own scat for each of the animals we learn about in the video with our Animal Scat Worksheet.
• Conifer Trees of Kentucky: Take a tour of three Kentucky native conifer trees. Learn about their adaptations and how to identify them.
• Bird Beaks, Wings, & Feet: Learn about some bird adaptations by looking at preserved specimens from the UK Biology Department. 
• Flower Adaptations: See some common houseplants and native Kentucky flowers and the amazing adaptations that make them successful survivors.
• Tour a Beehive Live: Take a virtual tour of a beehive.
• Gardening Activities: See some easy at-home gardening activities you can do with materials you probably already have. 
• Reptiles: Join guest Kathryn Greene from the UK Herpetology Lab to learn about reptiles. Also included are live reptile guests!
• Amphibians: Join guest Kathryn Greene from the UK Herpetology Lab and some amphibian friends.
• Pitfall Trap: Data Log Worksheet