Wild Records
Which recorded species occur around Greater Boston?
Data illustration, not an app screenshot. Snapshot retrieved 2026-09-07T16:27:05+00:00. Open the template for refreshed data.
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In the app: Templates → Featured → Wild Records. The app catalog version is signed and unlocks the template’s controls; manual file imports may require Control Pack for some controls.
Try it in 60 seconds
- Read the question. Check the source response and retrieval time before trusting any reading.
- Tap a block to inspect it; nested blocks can drill into a category.
- Tap either reading card to reveal what it means. Open Explore for another view and the source records.
- Find the observation time. Up to 100 archival occurrence records, not a live wildlife tracker or a complete species census.
The idea worth keeping
A map and category treemap describe a collection without claiming to measure abundance.
A short script you can read aloud
“Which recorded species occur around Greater Boston? This layout starts with that question, not a wall of controls. The data comes from GBIF and contributing datasets. Tap a block to inspect it; nested blocks can drill into a category. The reading cards tell you what to notice; turn one over when you need context. A map and category treemap describe a collection without claiming to measure abundance. One important limit: Up to 100 archival occurrence records, not a live wildlife tracker or a complete species census.”
Suggested animation scene
Partition one rectangle into source categories. Zoom into a nested block when present, retaining the parent label so the hierarchy stays legible.
Storyboard: 0–8 seconds, ask the question. 8–25 seconds, introduce one observation. 25–45 seconds, perform the gesture above. 45–60 seconds, show the timestamp and limitation. Keep labels readable, offer a reduced-motion cut, and use actual source values or a clearly marked replay.
How this becomes a layout
The provider publishes data → a small read-only adapter selects and names the useful fields → CAR-TER controls bind to those fields. All controls in this template share one endpoint. Polling is cached for 3600 seconds; that is a retrieval interval, not a promise that the source updates that often.
Remix exercise
Duplicate this layout. Keep the source and units unchanged, but replace the primary visualization with the alternative in Explore, or move the record list above it. Ask a new reader which arrangement answers the opening question faster. Changing location or query parameters requires a new allowlisted server-side source, not an unwired selector.
Source, rights and limitations
GBIF and contributing datasets · Exact upstream query · Usage terms / attribution
Query restricted to CC0 occurrence records. Retains dataset names, record dates, and GBIF credit.
Up to 100 archival occurrence records, not a live wildlife tracker or a complete species census.
This is a selected result window, not a full archive. Missing numbers are not replaced with zero. Lines connect available observations; consult records for gaps. A green READY badge means the last retrieval succeeded, not that the underlying observation is recent. STALE means a retained prior response; UNAVAILABLE means no usable cached response. If your device goes offline, check the displayed retrieval time: the last screen can remain visible.
Open-data and publicly accessible API are different promises. This collection labels each source’s conditions; it does not assert that every provider’s database or API is open-source software.