This friendly rivalry turned global competition is your opportunity to indulge your inner scientist. Identify flora and fauna as you explore the natural world.
What started a few years ago as a friendly rivalry to showcase urban biodiversity between Los Angeles and San Francisco has grown into a global competition.
The City Nature Challenge, happening April 24-27, is a friendly competition that encourages people to indulge their inner scientist and identify flora and fauna as they explore the natural world.
Cities across the globe compete to see who can log the most observations, find the most species and have the most participants.
Not to brag, but last year San Antonio came in 2nd in the world in total observations (over 135,000) and number of species (over 5,000 documented)! That’s a huge increase from 2018, the first year San Antonio participated, when only about 3,000 observations were made.
And you’re invited to join the challenge! In San Antonio, the favored platform for documenting observations is the free app/website iNaturalist.
How to get started:
- Sign up online to create an account (or log in if you already have one). Additional assistance is available for those just getting started.
- Explore your backyard, parks or nearby natural areas between April 24-27. Focus on wild plants, animals, fungi or signs of life.
- Use the iNaturalist app (Google Play or Apple App Store) or your camera to capture and upload observations by May 10.
During the challenge, any observations you make will automatically be added to the San Antonio total, as long as they’re within the 12 participating counties for the San Antonio region: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Gillespie, Goliad, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina and Wilson.
The City Nature Challenge is a fun way to connect with other local naturalists. Check the calendar for San Antonio-area challenge activities. And enjoy connecting with nature!
