Participants in the challenge are asked to observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals and fungi using the free mobile app iNaturalist. (photo courtesy of NHM)

As community science initiatives – which provide a safe way to connect people with nature and each other during the pandemic – continue to grow in popularity, this year’s sixth annual City Nature Challenge is expanding to more than 400 cities across six continents.

Beginning on Friday, April 30 at 12:01 a.m. in each time zone, the challenge runs through Monday, May 3, at 11:59 p.m. The global event, co-organized by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences, calls on current and aspiring community scientists, nature and science fans, and people of all ages and education backgrounds, to observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals and fungi using the free mobile app iNaturalist.

From Friday, April 30 to Monday, May 3, participants can upload their observations to the app, with identifications happening from Tuesday, May 4 to Sunday, May 9. Final results will be announced on Monday, May 10.

“At its core, the City Nature Challenge celebrates science by encouraging community engagement with nature throughout the diverse neighborhoods comprising Los Angeles County,” said Lori Bettison-Varga, president and director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County. “Although many of us have spent the past year in isolation, the challenge provides us with the opportunity to safely and remotely unite, connect with urban nature, and contribute to scientists’ collective global knowledge. I have seen the benefit of spending time outside observing and studying my natural surroundings, and I encourage all community members and participants around the world to safely search, discover, and enjoy the outdoors.”

After launching the first-ever City Nature Challenge in 2016, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences are hosting their sixth – and largest – effort. Nature is all around us; in our cities, neighborhoods and even in our homes.

One of the best ways to study nature and its biodiversity is by connecting scientists and local community members through community science. As global human populations become increasingly concentrated in cities, it’s more important than ever to document urban biodiversity and help ensure the future of plants and wildlife. Large pools of data built through iNaturalist, natural history museums and science organizations help leaders make informed conservation decisions that allow both human and natural communities to thrive.

In response to the pandemic, this year’s challenge will not be focused on competition, but rather global collaboration.

“Last year we had over 41,000 people take part in the Challenge, more than in any of the previous years,” said Lila Higgens, NHMLAC’s senior manager of community science, and co-founder of the Challenge. “This year we anticipate 50,000 people taking part, even though we can’t physically be together. It will be amazing to see what communities around the globe can accomplish in the name of urban biodiversity – I think we’re going to see over a million observations in this year’s City Nature Challenge.”

For both budding and veteran community scientists, joining in is easy – find wildlife in your home, neighborhood, backyard or anywhere else. It can be any wild plant, animal, fungi, slime mold, or any other evidence of life, such as scat, fur, tracks, shells, or carcasses. Take pictures of what you find using iNaturalist. Learn more as your observations are identified.

With travel restrictions due to the pandemic, scientists more than ever rely on observations from community scientists for important findings. During the 2020 City Nature Challenge, despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic,  over 1,300 endangered, endemic or data-deficient species were recorded.

For information, visit nhm.org.