GreenQode

GreenQode is a web application I created in March 2022, and have been actively developing since, that helps communities keep track of their greenery, and engage people with it.

What does that mean? #

GreenQode allows you to add information about your plants and trees, including descriptions, images, and more, to a CRUD interface. From there, it provides two primary functionalities:

1. Generating customisable QR codes for your plant and tree species, based on the quantity you determine, which link directly to webpages for each species. This means you can generate and print QR codes once, and continuously update the information that appears on that page.

This first use is targeted at smaller ‘communities’, for example, residential complexes with just a few green spaces, or a small college campus. It’s also what gives the application its name.

2. Creating ‘groups’ of plants and trees at particular locations, with detailed tracking and informational tools. Within these groups, you can keep track of the individual number of alive and dead items of each plant or tree species, the location of the group, and add information about the group. You can also take a printout of QR codes for just this group.

This second use is more suited for larger organisations, which may want to keep track of separate plantations, multiple parks, or multiple sets of plants and trees.

Both features draw from the same inventory of plants and trees - you’re just able to group them and use them differently.

The site has tons of features that facilitate easy sharing of information, such as public pages for the entire community, as well as for each individual plantation, which show the latest information entered by the community administrator over time.

What problem does this solve? #

This definitely doesn’t solve the biggest problems relating to sustainability, but that doesn’t mean that having engaged communities that are aware of local biodiversity isn’t important. Some places have already tried using static printed leaflets or signboards, but QR codes are far more convenient to read as well as update over time. Some have tried using QR codes, but it’s difficult to set up for the average administrator, and there’s no platform to generate QR codes en masse that’s specialised to environmental contexts.

Who’s using this? #

I’m working with iamgurgaon. It’s also being used by other residential complexes in Delhi NCR to keep track of their environmental inventory.

iamgurgaon inspired a lot of the features that I’ve incrementally added to the platform, particularly the advanced features to keep track of plantations. Being able to share vast amounts of information about their work, and being able to keep track of it easily in a platform that’s hyperspecialised to environmental applications, adds genuine value.