City Nature Challenge

City Nature Challenge 2023:
Greater Erie
4 day event, April 28 – May 1

The Greater Erie City Nature Challenge is back for its 2^nd year! Last year, we smashed our goals, so we are expanding to all of Erie County this year!  Get outside with us from April 28 – May 1 during the City Nature Challenge. This international community science event challenges us to explore the biodiversity around us. Everyone is welcome; all you need to do is download the free iNaturalist app on your phone or tablet, create an account, go outside and start exploring! iNaturalist can be used year-round to identify all sorts of plant and animal species anywhere in the world! In addition, by making observations in the app, you will be contributing to a global wildlife database that scientists can use to inform their research.

The City Nature Challenge was started in 2016 by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and has grown into a global event. Last year, over 400 cities from 44 countries around the world participated in the challenge with over 52,000 observers. Over 45,000 different species were documented during the 4-day event and 2021 also saw the first time that more than 1,000,000 observations were made! 

Any iNaturalist observations made during this 4-day period will be included. Record observations from your backyard, explore the Erie Bayfront, visit a  park, or come to Asbury Woods for a visit!

Check out the iNaturalist website for some great tutorials on how to make an observation, how to identify an observation, and adding a photo.