Get outdoors, learn about local wildlife and contribute to science!
Calling naturalists, nature lovers and citizen scientists of all ages! You are invited to join the four-day City Nature Challenge between April 29th and May 8th. People in the Washington DC metro area and around the world will be participating in this global citizen science event to document urban biodiversity. Participants will be looking for signs of life in local parks, waterways, backyards, front stoops, and neighborhoods. If you have an interest in learning more about local plants and animals, have access to a camera and the internet, you can contribute to this exciting project by using the iNaturalist app to document observations.
You can find a Challenge anywhere on the Global list.
During the challenge you:
Observe (4/29 – 5/2):
- Observe signs of any plant, animal, fungus, slime mold, or any other evidence of life (scat, fur, tracks, shells, carcasses!) that you find in the DC metro area.
- Document by taking a photo and noting the location.
- Share your observation by uploading it to iNaturalist.
Identify (5/3 – 5/8)
Citizen scientists will help identify the creatures found by observers. It’s fun to see what people are finding and identifying!
For information on exploring nature with kids, biodiversity and taking nature photos, check out the Resources for Observers and Identifiers at Resources for Observers, Identifiers and Leaders – City Nature Challenge Washington DC Metro Area (citynaturechallengedc.org)
Prepare yourself for the Challenge by registering for You Can Be a Citizen Scientist: An Intro to the 2022 City Nature Challenge on April 12 from 12 noon to 1 pm, or April 20th from 7:00- 8:00 pm
The tutorials will cover Challenge basics, use of the iNaturalist app as a citizen science tool, and places to explore in the DMV. This program is organized by Capital Nature and The Nature Conservancy in MD/DC.