City Nature Challenge 2025: Your observations matter!

Every spring, the City Nature Challenge (CNC) brings cities worldwide together in a friendly competition to document local biodiversity. Founded in 2016 by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, this event has grown to include hundreds of cities. It encourages people of all backgrounds to observe and document wildlife using the iNaturalist app, contributing valuable data to global biodiversity research.

What is iNaturalist?

iNaturalist is a platform where users can share photos and observations of wild species. These observations are publicly available and, when verified, shared with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), aiding researchers worldwide. The app makes it easy for anyone to contribute to conservation and scientific efforts.

Please also read: ALFAwetlands project advance

ALFAwetlands joins the challenge

The ALFAwetlands project, focused on wetland conservation across Europe, is participating in the City Nature Challenge. By partnering with iNaturalist, ALFAwetlands encourages people to observe and record wildlife in wetland areas. This data helps build a detailed inventory of species, track biodiversity changes, and promote conservation efforts. So far, ALFAwetlands has contributed over 105,000 observations on iNaturalist.

Why participate?

Participating in the City Nature Challenge offers several benefits:

1. Contribute to Biodiversity Research: Your observations help build a global database used by scientists for conservation planning and research.
2. Encourage Community Engagement: The challenge raises awareness about local biodiversity and fosters a greater appreciation for nature.
3. Support Conservation: Data collected helps inform conservation strategies for protecting endangered species and fragile ecosystems.

Join the City Nature Challenge 2025

The City Nature Challenge 2025 will take place from April 25 to April 28, 2025, and ALFAwetlands is excited to continue its involvement. Whether in your local park or wetland, downloading the iNaturalist app and contributing observations helps protect biodiversity for future generations.

Get involved today—your observations matter!