iNaturalist City Nature Challenge 2023
From April 28 through May 1, Colorado residents are encouraged to go outside in their neighborhood to photograph and identify plants and animals, using the free iNaturalist app, as part of a global initiative called the City Nature Challenge!
City Nature Challenge is an international effort to find and document plants and wildlife across the globe. Cities are encouraging their community members to get outside in whatever way is safe for each region and document the plants and animals in their surroundings.
The City Nature Challenge is organized by the Denver Audubon, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Museum of Nature and Science and The Nature Conservancy.
How to Participate
Visit
iNaturalist.org, download the free iNaturalist app from the
AppStore or
Google Play (includes the CPW State Parks NatureFinder), join the Denver-Boulder Metro area project, then get outside and start taking pictures of the nature around you.
The main City Nature Challenge will take place in two parts:
From April 28 through May 1, Colorado residents are encouraged to go outside to photograph and identify plants and animals as part of this global initiative.
From May 2 - 7, anyone can help identify the photos of plants and wildlife down to the species level. Only the observations with species-level identification will count toward the total! Results will be announced on May 8.
Your Participation Helps Colorado's ScientistsBy participating, you will not only help your city win the competition, you will also be contributing crucial data about Colorado’s unique biodiversity. Scientists can then use this information to make important decisions about how to protect and improve Colorado’s nature.
The iNaturalist app has been an ongoing part of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s efforts to engage community scientists.
Learn More About the State Parks NatureFinder
Part of the fun of the City Nature Challenge is the simple joy of learning about the nature that exists right outside your front door. Once you've started identifying what's in your yard, you may get the urge to journey even further! CPW's
State Parks NatureFinder (part of iNaturalist) is perfect for those hoping to learn more about and document the wildlife in Colorado's state parks.
Virtual Guidebooks for the NatureFinder
The
Resource Stewardship Program at CPW has developed virtual guidebooks for the NatureFinder to help you more easily identify the species found in Colorado's state parks.
Check out the plant and animal guides staff have created to help you on your journey.
