City officials call on Colorado Springs locals to participate in worldwide ‘City Nature Challenge’
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Springs city officials are challenging locals to get to know their own backyard a little bit better through the worldwide “City Nature Challenge.” Whether you’re a seasoned outdoorsman or are new to the region, you can participate, and learn something new about the gorgeous city we live in.
All you need is a phone, and the “iNaturalist” app. This is how the challenge works.
1. Find wildlife (plant, animal, fungi, or any evidence of life such as scat, fur or tracks)
2. Take a picture of what you find and note the location of the critter or plant
3. Share your observation by uploading your findings through iNaturalist
Not only will the observation give scientists a better idea of the bio-diversity in our area, the app will also tell exactly what species of plant or animal you took a picture of within minutes.
The “City Nature Challenge” has been going on since 2016. This is Colorado Springs' third year participating.
In 2020, Colorado Springs competed against 243 other cities. Ninety-one people in the city participated and uploaded almost 3,5000 observations to the iNaturalist app. From those observations, over 700 different species were identified. City officials hope even more people participate this year.
"I think the beauty of this challenge is you can do it anywhere," said Vanessa Zink, Senior Communications Specialist for the City of Colorado Springs. "You can observe wildlife in your backyard, or you can go to Garden of the Gods or Cheyenne Canyon."
The challenge was invented by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences. Though it is a competition, it’s one where every city is a winner. Participating cities give scientists a better idea of how to protect wildlife in their area.
The City Nature Challenge starts this Friday, April 30th, and lasts until Monday, May 3rd.
Learn more about the challenge and see how Colorado Springs stacked up against other cities around the globe in years past here.
