A citizen-participation wildlife survey covering all of Okayama Prefecture is under way using the “Biome” wildlife survey app. Ryobi Group and Chugin Financial Group are running the survey through 15 December.
Based in Okayama City, the citizen-participation wildlife survey “Okayama Wildlife Survey Team 2026,” covering all of Okayama Prefecture, is being conducted using the smartphone app “Biome.” The app is available as a free download and uses AI to identify insects, birds, fish, plants and other organisms photographed with a camera, allowing users to record them along with the date and location.
The main mission is “Post 5 species in Okayama Prefecture!” Extra missions include “Grassland hunter! Post 1 species of mantis!” and “Survey urban biodiversity in Okayama City!” The survey runs through 15 December, and the covered area has been expanded to the entire prefecture.
The initiative began in August 2024. The second survey was conducted from October 2025 through January this year, with Chugin Financial Group, which shares the same objectives, joining the project. The third survey has expanded to cover the entire prefecture, and the organisers plan to continue the initiative over the medium to long term, accumulating distribution data on rare and invasive species.
A report from the field describes a journalist using the AI identification function at Nishigawa Canal Park to submit a bird identified as a feral pigeon. It also notes that the app's reference guide contains approximately 100,000 species. The app was developed by Biome, a Kyoto University spin-off, and safeguards have been built into its handling of information, including the automatic concealment of location data for rare species.