01
Frame
Start with a real constraint
Use the place, date, free time, route, or target species you already have instead of beginning with a blank map.
Guides and FAQ
How to use Feraust.
Scenario tutorials, field workflows, and plain answers for planning wildlife trips without turning Feraust into another sighting log.
The basic loop
Plan from the trip, not from a blank checklist.
Feraust works best when it starts with a travel constraint and ends with a field artifact you can actually carry.
02
Compare
Rank realistic options
Look for timing, drive effort, habitat, access, weather, and photo-light tradeoffs before choosing a stop.
03
Inspect
Check the map and sources
Use Explore for context, then save the places that fit the trip rather than building a generic sighting list.
04
Prepare
Build the Trip Kit
Turn the plan into a practical field artifact with route notes, safety prompts, checklist items, and backup options.
05
Field
Use quick notes outside
Capture weather, access, behavior, misses, and photo conditions without making the field workflow feel heavy.
06
Remember
Feed the next plan
Bring field notes back into Feraust so the next trip starts with what you learned, not another blank search.
Tutorial library
Scenario lessons ready for video.
Each slot is built around a real planning job, so recordings can be added later without redesigning the page.
Scenario walkthrough
Ready to record · 6-8 min
Traveling birder or photographer
Use a free evening on a travel day
Turn a hotel, airport, or conference schedule into a short list of ethical, reachable options before sunset.
Scenario
You are in a city for work and have two to three hours after meetings.
Outcome
A ranked evening plan with drive time, light window, likely habitat, and a backup stop.
- Start a plan with the city, dates, and the time you can actually use.
- Compare options by drive time, light, access, and expected habitat.
- Save the best stop and one backup into a Trip Kit.
- Use Field Mode for quick access, conditions, and photo notes.
Ethics workflow
Planned · 7-10 min
Ethics-first target planning
Plan around a target species without chasing coordinates
Use species intent as a planning lens while keeping protected or sensitive locations generalized.
Scenario
You want a realistic chance at a bird or wildlife subject while avoiding hotspot-chasing pressure.
Outcome
A habitat-and-timing plan that explains what is known, what is uncertain, and where the ethical boundary sits.
- Describe the species, region, date range, and travel radius.
- Review habitat patterns and seasonal signals instead of exact sensitive pins.
- Choose places with public access and reasonable viewing distance.
- Carry ethics notes into the Trip Kit before leaving.
Photo-route build
Ready to record · 8-10 min
Wildlife photographer
Build a Saturday photo route
Balance subject likelihood, sunrise angle, parking, walking distance, weather, and backup locations.
Scenario
You have one morning and want a route that is photographically useful, not just bird-rich.
Outcome
A route with first-light priority, alternate hides or overlooks, and notes for wind, access, and patience strategy.
- Start with the morning window and your maximum drive time.
- Compare stops by light direction, habitat edge, and access friction.
- Add the primary and backup places to one Trip Kit.
- Capture field notes that will help you return under better conditions.
Trip Kit setup
Planned · 5-7 min
Planner who already has ideas
Turn research into a field-ready Trip Kit
Collect saved places, timing notes, safety context, and field tasks into one artifact you can use away from your desk.
Scenario
You have a few promising places and need them organized before the trip.
Outcome
A clean Trip Kit with stops, checklist items, safety prompts, offline context, and a PDF option.
- Review saved places and choose the stops that fit the trip constraint.
- Add timing, access, and safety notes to the trip.
- Prepare offline references before leaving coverage.
- Export a PDF when paper backup is useful.
After-trip workflow
Planned · 5-6 min
Repeat visitor to the same places
Use Field Mode, then clean up notes at home
Capture lightweight field observations, then turn them into memory that improves the next plan.
Scenario
Conditions changed, access was different than expected, or the wildlife was active somewhere unexpected.
Outcome
Reusable notes about timing, behavior, weather, access, and photo conditions.
- Use quick notes in Field Mode when you notice something useful.
- Record misses and access friction, not only successes.
- Review Field Notes after the trip.
- Use those notes when choosing the next stop or return window.
Shortlist workflow
Planned · 6-8 min
Trip chooser
Create a destination shortlist
Compare possible regions before committing travel time, lodging, or a long drive.
Scenario
You know the general season, but not which destination is worth building the trip around.
Outcome
A shortlist of places with clear reasons, tradeoffs, and first planning tasks.
- Browse Explore for regions that fit the season and subject interest.
- Save candidates with access and scouting notes.
- Compare travel effort, habitat, and backup options.
- Promote the strongest candidate into a Trip Kit.
FAQ
Straight answers before someone has to ask.
These answers set the expectation: Feraust is a planning companion for travel, field craft, and ethical photography.
Is Feraust replacing eBird, Merlin, or iNaturalist?
No. Those tools are excellent for sightings, identification, and community science. Feraust is the planning layer around a trip: where you might go, how the day fits together, what to carry, what to avoid, and what you learned for next time.
Can I use Feraust as a sighting log?
You can keep field notes, but the product center is travel planning and field memory. Sightings are useful when they help you make a better trip decision; Feraust should not drift into a public rarity feed or a replacement checklist database.
Why do you charge a fee for use?
Feraust has real operating costs: hosting, map and offline infrastructure, AI planning requests, species ID assistance, PDF rendering, email delivery, monitoring, and ongoing data/provider maintenance. The free tier is meant to stay useful; Premium helps pay for the heavier features without relying on sensitive location sales or a noisy advertising model.
Does Premium reveal precise sensitive locations?
No. Ethics and safety rules are not pricing levers. Premium increases capacity and field utility, but protected wildlife and sensitive places still stay generalized.
What should I plan first?
Start with a real constraint: a city you will be in, a free morning, a maximum drive time, a target habitat, or a trip date. Feraust works best when it can turn those constraints into practical options.
Where will the tutorial videos live?
This guide framework is built around scenario tutorials. Each tutorial can carry an embedded video link when the recordings are ready, while still keeping written steps available for people who want the quick version.
Start with one real trip
The best tutorial is the place you are already going.
Use a date, route, city, free morning, or target habitat. Feraust can turn that into a plan you can compare, carry, and learn from.