You can participate in the City Nature Challenge!
The annual City Nature Challenge is a bio-blitz like no other. Participants from across the globe will document the birds, insects, plants, fungi, and other life in their yards and local parks, then join each other online to identify and tag all their photos and recordings.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 concerns, this year’s City Nature Challenge is no longer a competition. Instead, the focus will be on the healing power of nature and on encouraging the collaborative spirit of the CNC. This will allow people to safely document biodiversity in whatever way they can, even from the safety of their own homes if necessary.
Visit iNaturalist.org or download the iNaturalist app from the AppStore or Google Play to get started. Once you’re signed in, you can find the project page for your local city. The University of Minnesota Extension has set up a project page for Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Area residents. You can then begin taking photos and uploading them to the site!
Taking part is easy:
Find wildlife. It can be any plant or animal, or some other evidence of life found in your city.
Take a picture. Take a picture of what you find. Be sure to note the location of the critter or plant.
Share! Share your observations through iNaturalist.
Here’s a video to help you with your first observation!
The Challenge takes place in two parts. From April 24–27 everyone will be taking pictures of wild plants and animals. Then, from April 28–May 3, everyone will be identifying what was found.
Need more help? iNaturalist has many resources to assist you:
YouTube
Twitter
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