# Leafsnap: An Electronic Field Guide

> electronic field guide to trees of the United States and Canada

**Wikidata**: [Q111215217](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111215217)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/leafsnap-an-electronic-field-guide

## Summary
Leafsnap is an electronic field guide and website designed to help users identify trees. Launched in 2011, it focuses specifically on tree species found in the United States and Canada. The project is a collaborative effort developed by Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution.

## Key Facts
- **Title:** Leafsnap
- **Subtitle:** An Electronic Field Guide
- **Launch Date:** 2011
- **Publishers:** Columbia University, University of Maryland, Smithsonian Institution
- **Format:** Website and electronic field guide
- **Geographic Scope:** Trees of the United States and Canada
- **Language:** English
- **Country of Origin:** United States
- **Website:** http://leafsnap.com/
- **Copyright Status:** Copyrighted

## FAQs
### Q: What is Leafsnap?
A: Leafsnap is an electronic field guide and website created to help users identify trees. It specifically covers tree species native to the United States and Canada.

### Q: Who created Leafsnap?
A: Leafsnap is a joint project published by Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution.

### Q: When was Leafsnap launched?
A: The electronic field guide was inceptioned in 2011.

## Why It Matters
Leafsnap represents a significant shift in botanical education and field research, moving the traditional printed field guide into a digital, accessible format. By combining the academic rigor of major institutions—Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution—it offers a reliable and authoritative resource for identifying trees in the United States and Canada.

The platform matters because it democratizes access to expert botanical knowledge. Prior to such electronic guides, tree identification often required extensive physical libraries of books or specialized training. Leafsnap consolidates this information into a single, English-language website, allowing students, researchers, and citizen scientists to access high-quality data instantly. Its creation in 2011 placed it at the forefront of the digital transformation in natural sciences, serving as a model for how technology can facilitate interaction with the natural world.

## Notable For
- Being a collaborative project between three major institutions: Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution.
- Serving as an electronic field guide specifically focused on the trees of the United States and Canada.
- Transitioning the traditional field guide format into a web-based platform.
- Providing a specialized resource for tree identification that is copyrighted and formally categorized as a "field guide" and "website."

## Body
### Overview and Classification
Leafsnap is categorized as both a field guide and a website. Titled "Leafsnap: An Electronic Field Guide," its primary function is the identification of trees. It is an English-language resource that operates as a copyrighted web domain.

### Development and Collaboration
The project originated in the United States and was officially launched in 2011. It is the result of a partnership between three prominent academic and research organizations:
- **Columbia University**
- **University of Maryland**
- **Smithsonian Institution**

### Scope and Content
The content of Leafsnap is geographically specific. The main subject of the guide is trees, with a specific focus on species found within the United States and Canada. The resource is accessible to the public via its official website, `http://leafsnap.com/`, and detailed information about the project is available at `http://leafsnap.com/about/`. The project also maintains a social media presence, with a Twitter account established in January 2011.