Exploring Nature Just Got Easier with These Mobile Apps in Hong Kong

Are you one of those travellers or hikers who love to bring heavy nature books and field guides? You can now keep your treasured books at home as modern technology has paved the way to make your life easier (and your luggage lighter).

While exploring the wilderness, here are some nature-themed mobile apps in Hong Kong you can download for free!

Hiking Trail HK

Before you hike, it’s important to plan your route and determine the difficulty level. This nature mobile app in Hong Kong provides an offline map to over 100 hiking trails across the region.

It features mountain paths (contour lines), route sharing, route length/gain/loss calculation, time estimation, GPS location, compass, track logging, and deviation alert (to avoid getting lost on the trail).

Free and safe to download for Android and iOS.

Get Enjoy Hiking

The Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department and the Communications Association of Hong Kong joined forces to develop the Get Enjoy Hiking app. This nature mobile app in Hong Kong is a hiker tracking service used in emergencies that require rescue operations. Users should activate their phone location before their trip for the system to record the hiker’s exact location.

The app is designed for Android and iOS devices.

PlantSnap Pro

If you love plants, you need to download this nature mobile app in Hong Kong that connects you with the environment. It’s an educational app that can identify flowers, indoor plants, trees, rare cacti, exotic flowers, and more. To do so, simply take a picture using PlantSnap and it will instantly provide the information based on the app’s database.

Share your snaps in the Plantsnappers Community and connect with other nature enthusiasts across different countries. You can also read gardening tips and advice about thousands of plant species and discoveries.

Start PlantSnapping today! Available for Android and iOS devices.

TrailWatch 

Your virtual hiking guide, TrailWatch , was among the first nature mobile apps developed in Hong Kong. It features the latest information technology to track hikes and report incidents like dangers along the road, illegal waste dumping, water pollution, and other suspicious events. Sharing such problematic situations or trends can help authorities monitor the country parks within the region.

Download the app via iOS and Android for free.

AQHI

The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is developed and operated by the Environmental Protection Department of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The app provides a health risk assessment of air quality categorized into low, moderate, high, very high, and serious. Users can check real-time air pollution through the map according to district or by station.

Learn more about AQHI, download via Google Play or App Store.

Waste Less

Another government-developed mobile app is Waste Less. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) of the HKSAR Government designed the app to track the nearest recyclable collection areas via the user’s location.

The details include photos, address, business hours, and the types of recyclable items (waste paper, metals, plastics, glass bottles, rechargeable batteries, fluorescent lamps, clothes, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), and BBQ forks).

Aside from that, the app also functions as a diary where users can record their recycling activities and get insights about waste management, reduction, and recovery in Hong Kong.

Available on Google Play and App store.

Reef Check Hong Kong

The Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department of HKSAR Government launched the Reef Check Hong Kong mobile app for coral coverage among 33 survey sites in the city’s eastern waters. Users can find a wide array of sea creatures through the app including reef-building corals, fish, and invertebrates.

Available on Google Play and App store.

HKBirds: Birds of Hong Kong

For those fascinated by watching birds in their natural habitat, check out this “first cross-platform bird information app in Hong Kong” that provides information among 200 bird species seen in the region.

You can use the app offline to browse the bird list based on their family, IUCN status, principal status, habitat, and size.

The app was a joint project of HKU Ecologist and the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.

Available on Google Play and App store