{"id":46810,"date":"2022-04-01T08:37:46","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T15:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=46810"},"modified":"2022-04-01T08:37:46","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T15:37:46","slug":"community-scientists-are-invited-to-participate-in-the-global-city-nature-challenge-april-29-may-2-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=46810","title":{"rendered":"COMMUNITY SCIENTISTS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GLOBAL\u00a0CITY NATURE CHALLENGE APRIL 29 \u2013 MAY 2, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Seventh annual challenge documenting biodiversity unites people with nature and each other\u2013even from home; results will be announced on May 9.
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Los Angeles, CA (March 31, 2022)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 On April 29, the\u00a0City Nature Challenge<\/a>\u2014one of the world\u2019s largest community science events\u2014returns for its seventh year of connecting communities with nature and each other! From participating in organized biodiversity surveys to recording the wildlife in your own neighborhood, the City Nature Challenge is the perfect way to explore your local environment\u2014all while contributing to biodiversity science and conservation.<\/p>\n

The City Nature Challenge begins on Friday, April 29 at 12:01 am in each time zone and runs through Monday, May 2, 11:59 pm. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge all participants to carefully follow current public health guidelines. Anyone in a participating City Nature Challenge city can join in by sharing photos of their wildlife observations on the free mobile app\u00a0iNaturalist<\/a>, an online platform powered by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic, or on their city\u2019s chosen platform. The collective scientific efforts from participants around the world will be tallied and results announced on May 9, 2022.<\/p>\n

Launched in 2016 as a collaborative effort between the\u00a0Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0California Academy of Sciences<\/a>,<\/a>\u00a0the City Nature Challenge has grown from a friendly competition between the two cities to an international event spanning six continents. The inaugural Challenge recorded an impressive 20,000 observations in the state of California. In 2021, community scientists around the world amassed a record-breaking 1,270,000 observations from over 400 cities across 44 countries. These wildlife observations provide invaluable insights into our planet\u2019s biodiversity, allowing scientists, conservationists, and policymakers to make informed resource management and conservation decisions.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re really excited to see tens of thousands of people come together for this year\u2019s City Nature Challenge,” said Lila Higgens, NHM\u2019s Senior Manager of Community Science and co-founder of the Challenge. “This project helps us understand the natural world that lives in our cities, while also connecting people across generations to the plants and animals that surround them everyday. Last year the City Nature Challenge recorded over a million observations. This year I’m hopeful we’ll see even more!”<\/p>\n

Participation is easy: Any photos of wild plants, animals, or fungi taken during the Challenge can be uploaded to iNaturalist where an online community of naturalists confirms species identifications. Whether you\u2019re participating in an organized \u201cbioblitz\u201d or making observations in your own neighborhood, the Challenge is for budding and seasoned community scientists alike.<\/p>\n

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    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. Check out\u00a0this guide<\/a>\u00a0for tips on finding the surprisingly abundant biodiversity in and around your own home<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Take photos and \/or sound recordings of what you find using iNaturalist or your city\u2019s chosen platform. You can use your phone and the iNaturalist app, or you can use a camera and upload the photos to the\u00a0iNaturalist<\/a>\u00a0website.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. Learn more about the plants and animals you find as your observations are identified!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Those not able to take photos or record their observations can focus their efforts on identifying species documented in their area during and after the Challenge. Many organizers in cities around the world will be hosting wildlife identification events from May 3 – May 8.<\/p>\n

    Over the last six years, observations made during the Challenge have helped scientists detect patterns of biodiversity change on a global and local scale. Some of last year\u2019s highlights include: a threatened\u00a0giant Australian cuttlefish<\/a>\u00a0off the coast of Adelaide, Honduras\u2019s first record of a species of\u00a0hairstreak butterfly,<\/a>\u00a0and an invasive\u00a0emerald ash borer beetle<\/a>\u00a0in Denton County, Texas\u2014its presence suggesting that this species range had expanded.<\/p>\n

    The City Nature Challenge is a fun, collaborative event that harnesses scientific data to regenerate ecosystems and reverse biodiversity loss. By observing and documenting local wildlife, community scientists give insight into the biodiversity of locations throughout the world.<\/p>\n

    Participants can also prepare to learn more about the nature surrounding neighborhoods from NHM\u2019s book\u00a0Wild L.A.: Explore the Amazing Nature In and Around Los Angeles<\/em>, co-written by our very own Lila Higgins and Greg Pauly. It tells the stories of Los Angeles\u2019 surprising nature, its plants and animals, and how humans interact with all of them. Learn more about this new kind of nature guide at\u00a0NHM.ORG\/wild-la<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Local support for the City Nature Challenge is generously provided by Boeing and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.<\/p>\n

    More Information<\/strong>
    \nVisit\u00a0    citynaturechallenge.com<\/a>
    \n    See participating cities and learn more.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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