City Nature Challenge 2024 (April 26 - 29)

The City Nature Challenge is an annual four-day global bioblitz where individuals and students are in a collaboration-meets-friendly competition to see which city can gather the greatest number of wildlife observations, find the most species and engage the most people at the event.

Run by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM), the City Nature Challenge initially started as a competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2016 and has now grown into an international event, encouraging people to document wildlife across their cities.

City Nature Challenge gives you the opportunity to:

1. Explore nature in your neighbourbood. 
2. Learn about local biodiversity.
3. Contribute to science and conservation in your community or school ground.
4. Build community with others interested in nature.
5. Spend time in nature with family and friends and teach them about the natural world.
6. Be part of a worldwide movement to celebrate and protect biodiversity.

Toronto and GTA is a great biodiversity hotspot to document wildlife. It is home to diverse flora and fauna, from our extensive ravine systems to forests, oak savannas, watersheds and marshy wetlands.

Parts of Toronto, Peel and Halton regions fall within the carolinian zone which is amongst the most diverse and fragile ecoregions in Canada, providing habitat for more than 500+ rare and endangered species of wildlife. 

Many rare and at-risk species such as the Chimney Swift, Wood Thrush, American Badger, Blanding’s Turtle, Ribbon Snake, American Chestnut, Black Ash amongst many other species can be found across Toronto and GTA.

The Greenbelt, which is a highly protected area of green space, farmlands, forests and wetlands runs through each of the 5 regions of GTA and is amongst the most biologically diverse regions in southern Ontario. Providing us with clean air, fresh water and abundant food, it is also home to diverse species of plant and animal life.

Amidst our urban environment are pockets of urban biodiversity waiting to be explored. There is nature all around us and Toronto & GTA serves as one of those great biodiversity hotspots.

EcoSpark has created a step-by-step educator’s guide that provides information on how to engage your class in the City Nature Challenge and integrate the event into your curriculum.

Participate with your class for a chance to win great prizes! Engage students outdoors and contribute to science. Will your school find the most observations in the GTA?

 Register now  to join the Challenge, then invite others to take part in this free nature activity. 

Ready to engage your class in real citizen science and help put Toronto and the GTA on the map to win the title of wildest city in Canada? If so,  register your class here  and we’ll send you a guide with 6 easy steps to take part! 

Step 1: Register and Create a Free iNaturalist Account

Step 2: Get Ready to Bring the Class Outside

Step 3: Observe Local Wildlife and Share 

Step 4: Submit Your Class’s Observations

Step 5: Extend the Learning Experience 

Step 6: Integrating the Curriculum 

• 3 Canon gift cards, each valued at $250 will be raffled to registered participants with at least 5 observations on iNaturalist.ca
• Registered schools with the top 3 most observations will win Canon gift cards, valued at $500, $250 and $100
• The registered participant with the most species observed on iNaturalist.ca will win a one-year Family Membership to the ROM
• Use this code: ECPUNS24 to get 10% off your next purchase with Urban Nature Store

Note:  This form , complete with iNaturalist Username MUST be filled out to be eligible for prizes!

EcoSpark is an environmental charity whose mission is to empower communities to take an active role in protecting and sustaining their local environment. We work with schools, community groups, and corporate volunteers wishing to make a positive environmental impact!

We do this by giving people the tools for education, monitoring and influencing positive change. Since 1996, we have sparked over 90,000 youths and adults to create healthy environments in over 31 watersheds across southern Ontario.

For the last couple of years EcoSpark has organized City Nature Challenge bringing together students, adults, and communities across the GTA. Biodiversity observations are collected year round from EcoSpark’s School Watch and Park Watch programs and are displayed on our interactive biodiversity dashboard displays. EcoSpark has collected over 60,000 observations across Ontario with five different partner organizations. These organizations include Bumble Bee Watch, eBird, eButterfly, iNaturalist and Caterpillars Count. Check out our previous City Nature Challenge results on our  City Nature Challenge Dashboard. 

You can also join  EcoSpark Participant Observations  page on iNaturalist to explore and track species throughout Ontario.

1. How old should I be to create an iNaturalist account?
   1. To create an iNaturalist account, you must be 13 years or older. Younger participants are encouraged to take part in City Nature Challenge with their class, community group, or family.
2. Can teachers set up an iNaturalist account for their class?
   1. Yes! Teachers can create a regular iNaturalist account, practice taking several observations solo, then share the log-in info with their class to monitor submissions. Or, students aged 13+ may use their own accounts. However, there are important considerations when choosing between these options. Check out this handy  info  to learn more on setting up your class for success.
3. Do I need data to submit observations?
   1. You can record iNaturalist observations while in the field without data, and the app will save your date, time and location. (Obtaining an accurate location may take longer than usual.) You cannot access iNaturalist’s computer vision suggestions or its taxonomic database without an internet connection (to ID species in the field), or upload any observations till you open the app again when you’re back on data.
   2. You can download the Seek app before going in the field. Seek does not require data. Ensure you select the option to submit your Seek observations to your iNaturalist account so they contribute to the project!
4. What’s the time commitment to participate?
   1. You can participate in City Nature Challenge whether you have a half hour or days to spare! We suggest taking 10 minutes before heading outside to download the optional app and familiarize yourself with the iNaturalist platform basics. Then simply snap photos of nearby species to share! Most participants notice several species in any location within 15 minutes. Of course, more observations will help with the challenge! Remember to check back in on iNaturalist during the “identify” days at the end of the challenge to learn more about what you and your neighbours discover.
5. I don’t have any wildlife near me. How can I participate?
   1. Remember that any wild species including weeds, birds, and insects are great to include because they help our community research human-environment connections. Think small, looking for tiny plants or bugs under rocks and leaves and in the corners of window sills. Get close up with colourful lichen growing on tree bark. Take pigeon portraits in the park! One note: if you’re practicing by snapping photos of pet cats or flowers someone planted, tick the “cultivated” box before submitting the image.
6. What’s the best way to get clear photos for identification?
   1. Key tips are to brace the device for a steady shot, zoom in and center the subject, and position yourself so more light falls on the subject. Try to take multiple photos (different angles, close-ups) for a single submission.
   2. For excellent guides to better critter photos, check out  https://www.inaturalist.org/blog/64592-how-to-take-identifiable-photos 
7. Where can I view our results?
   1. Check back into your iNaturalist account as your observations get identified with support from the community.
   2. Sign up for EcoSpark’s newsletter, and visit  https://www.ecospark.ca/citynaturechallenge  to see global and city results.