Frequently Asked Questions

Wildnote is a feature-rich, customizable platform designed for the environmental services community to streamline the process of field data collection, project management, and reporting.  It is cloud-based software available for both the iOS and Android mobile operating systems and integrated web application. Wildnote is a comprehensive solution that allows your environmental team to work more efficiently by reducing staff hours and survey effort, eradicating task duplication and transcription errors, and ultimately saving on monitoring and compliance costs.

Wildnote is comprised of two components: a web app and a mobile device app. The web app software provides access to functions such as workflow, project management, survey forms creation, photo management, data management and reporting. The mobile device app enables you to collect data while in the field—both real time and offline— using the survey forms created through the web app.  Wildnote is supported across both iOS and Android phones, iPads and tablets.

The Wildnote app works on iOS platform mobile devices, such as the iPhone and iPad, and on Android phones and tablets.

Wildnote is designed for professionals in the environmental services industry, including environmental consultants, mitigation banks, natural resource managers, ecological scientists, regulatory agencies, as well as citizen scientists who collect, manage and report any data. This app is best suited to compliance and monitoring projects that require significant forms-based data collection such as:

• Environmental compliance
• Biological surveys
• Construction monitoring and compliance
• Ecological restoration
• Mitigation and conservation banking
• Natural resource management
• Wetland management
• Riparian management
• Watershed management
• Habitat assessment and restoration
• Habitat monitoring and conservation management
• Habitat mitigation development
• Regulatory permitting

Not only is Wildnote easy and intuitive, clients have declared our app is actually fun to use! Kristen Hazard, Wildnote Founder and Chief Programming Architect, believes in developing green apps with a “sunny attitude”—apps that are not only feature-rich but joyful to use! So, rest assured you’ll feel comfortable learning our software. Wildnote was designed both by and for people working in the environmental services community, so its features were designed with you and your next survey project in mind.

Yes, the Wildnote app works offline. All data is saved to your mobile device and then you sync the data to Wildnote’s secure servers once you regain cellular service or Wi-Fi connectivity.

Yes, as long as you have the ability to connect with a Wi-Fi service you can download surveys and forms to your device while in the office, then proceed to collect your field data offline. Once you’re back in Wi-Fi range you can sync again to upload your forms data.

Given the time-saving nature of the Wildnote app for monitoring and compliance, your employer’s best financial option would be to buy you a tablet or smart phone for your next environmental project! Nonetheless, if you can’t convince them, you can rent mobile device equipment from a company such as Anatum Field Solutions.

New screen products for mobile devices are coming on the market all the time. One solution is the antiglare film made by Nushield, called NuShield DayVue. This anti-reflective overlay film works by “offering highly increased levels of screen clarity and screen visibility in outdoor situations—settings where glare from the sun, for instance, would otherwise darken a device’s LCD screen. “

Because Wildnote utilizes the mapping hardware and software in your device, the accuracy is that of the device. Most modern smart phones and tablets range from 5-8 meters in accuracy. If you need greater accuracy you can combine an external Bluetooth GPS receiver with your device and get that accuracy down to the 2-3 meter range. If you require more accuracy than that you will need to invest in a mapping grade GPS receiver.

The Wildnote app supports the export of latitude and longitude points into a variety of formats and can integrate with applications such as ArcGIS and ESRI.

Currently, you can collect point data via dropping a latitude/longitude point in the mobile app using the device mapping capabilities. We have line and area mapping on our list for future improvements.

Yes, you can save a latitude and longitude point within your Wildnote surveys and forms while offline. You do not need to be connected to WiFi or a cellular network to save the latitude and longitude point, but you do need to make sure your location services are enabled for the Wildnote App. If you want to see a map while offline you need to download the map before you go out in the field and lose connectivity.

Interestingly, you can save latitude and longitude points without displaying a map. It seems a bit disorienting because you see a blank screen when you first click on the lat/long survey question. But once you save the point you will see the signed degrees formatted numbers for latitude and longitude.

At this time, the Wildnote App uses only the signed degree format. South latitudes and West longitudes are displayed with a minus sign. Latitudes range from -90 to 90. Longitudes range from -180 to 180.  

1. Launch the Google Maps app and search for the area you want to save.
2. Tap on the menu button and choose Offline areas.
3. Tap on the plus button in the lower right corner.
4. Pinch and zoom the area to fine tune what you’d like to save. (Zooming in to only what you need will conserve how much storage space you’re using.)
5. Tap on Download.
6. In the popup menu, give your area a unique name and tap Save.

Wildnote is rich with customizable features, including custom survey form creation, project management, report generation – and many more! Our Features page has a full list of Wildnote’s customizable features or for a more detailed description, you can download the Wildnote App White Paper in PDF format.

While the web app interface is only in English at this time, you can create and deploy your custom survey forms in any language. However, support for other languages is on our development roadmap.

Yes, please contact us at support@wildnoteapp.com or phone, +1 (8O5) 664-OO4O.

Wildnote is a project based app that allows you to create your projects, design your custom surveys and attach them to your projects, and assign your team to projects. Other workflow features are in development and we would appreciate your input. Feel free to email us the workflow features that would be most helpful to you for your environmental project. support@wildnoteapp.com.

First of all, please know that as a company, one of our core values is to be helpful, and we truly enjoy providing support and interacting with our clients. Here are the ways to get your questions answered:

1. Use the chat icon on your screen to ask your question.
2. Go to our knowledge base for a variety of “how to” articles: Wildnote Help Articles
3. Check out our Wildnote Youtube channel
4. Call us directly at +1-805-664-0040
5. Email us at support@wildnoteapp.com
6. We recommend that you also sign up for our environmental newsletter, Wildnote Buzz, which offers the latest tips and tricks for getting the most out of our environmental survey and project management app.