Mark your calendars for City Nature Challenge 2021! The CNC is a friendly global competition where residents of more than 300 cities compete to see who can record the most wildlife.
From April 30 to May 3, we’ll be documenting the plants, animals and fungi in Philadelphia and surrounding counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Identification phase runs from May 4 to May 9 before results are announced on May 10.
Participation is easy: Any observation on iNaturalist, geotagged from anywhere in the designated area (Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania, and Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties in New Jersey), and time-stamped during the four days of the event, will count toward Philadelphia’s tally! (For detailed information on how to participate, including information on using iNaturalist, visit www.cncphilly.org.)
The City Nature Challenge is a great opportunity to explore the world around you, whether in a nature preserve, a city park or around your own neighborhood… and we want to see what you find! You can tag the Academy on social media and use the hashtag #CityNatureChallenge. You also can explore along with the Academy community through our new home on iNaturalist, the Academy Naturalist project group!
Created in celebration of the City Nature Challenge, the Academy Naturalists group is a place where the Academy community, including our staff, members and supporters, can connect and explore nature together. When you join the group (by clicking the “Join” button at the top right of the page) and upload your iNaturalist observations, they could be identified by our scientists and added to the Academy’s virtual collection!
We hope you’ll join us here to explore and share the natural world during City Nature Challenge, and beyond!
By Kathryn Christopher, manager of Academy Science Communication and Outreach, and Katie Marquart, manager Academy Membership and Appeals.
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