City Nature Challenge - April 30 - May 3. Mark those calendars and cancel all plans. You've got to spend time in nature!
Hey friends!
So, the city nature challenge is coming up again at the end of April! I predict that it will be more of a 'collaboration' than a 'competition' -- although on the group call yesterday, the trash talk coming out of Houston (wink wink @habitat_jaime !) was painful to my ears... ;)
Mark those dates on your calendar -- April 30 - May 3 for observing, May 4 - 9 for ID'ing/uploading (you've got to have your observations uploaded by May 9th for them to 'count'). If you need a doctor's note to get out of work/school/family time, let me know. Just put the word "NATURE" on these days! Engage with nature as much as you can during this weekend -- and hey, if you're able to make a few observations, that's cool too. Just engage with nature!
Like last year, I predict that many of our public events will be slightly limited... COVID's still raging, and who even knows what April will be like. Nonetheless, stay tuned for public events -- I'll definitely post them in this project if there are any going on. Join this project if you want to be updated!
Relevancy: I've used last year's City Nature Challenge in DFW a lot... It's convincing when I'm talking to a city council or park board when I show them that over 1300 people sought out nature during a pandemic. There is biodiversity in the DFW metroplex. We seek out natural areas in our backyards and in public parks, and there's data to show it: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020-dallas-fort-worth Nature is clearly essential to us all, and this data is some useful conversational ammunition to the folks that make land management decisions.
I do hope that you participate in the city nature challenge, but most of all, carve some time to engage with nature however you need to. It's our refuge during odd times too!
Kommentit
Tagging some of the big iNat users in DFW last year (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2020-01-01&place_id=57484&subview=grid&view=observers) -- tell your friends! :)
@bob777 @annikaml @charley @denver @kimberlietx @lisa281 @walkingstick2 @aidancampos @rick57 @brentano @jblinde @catenatus @sehnature @tadamcochran @galactic_bug_man @rangertreaty50 @kathrynwells333 @baxter-slye @wlhwildlife @oddfitz @cwd912nb @daniel112 @jsuplick @wildcarrot @cgritz @assmann @pynklynx @alchemist2000 @sahi2018 @tgbirdnerd @lulubelle @itmndeborah @williampaulwhite17 @madisong @eataie @rmorgan @gwaithir @buffalostuckintx @cameralenswrangler @rozzychan @naturenut @lovebirder @miscelaineous @michaelkuykendall @david_gwin @k8thegr8 @saltyhiker @dmort @apcorboy @jaquiring @northcut1 @cindylcobb5 @sara39 @abadoo @carol308 @naturemom @jcat @tmurr1225 @alusk @jwn @hchuang @zetina26 @fratto @ppilarski @sierrasquirrel @birdbrain34 @kenttrulsson @elprofer @kaf213 @missmary @dhutch2018 @hmfrye @taosit @somesecretpie @jdjames @postoak @sam__ @txstack @aguilita @smurfette @mayflower2000 @leroypowell @atassin @jeannevc @carlosrangel1 @vadalton @lovenature123 @melissa_duron @tashap @andyk @jbwhite @quincy2c @rehb @jbe_fleischman_fam @kimberlywalks @joshmols @squaylei2000 @drbh2o @dagmar @csquare @henrya @devinpedraza @beckymn @raisedbywolves @katelyn3 @scincus @melissa_nature79 @ann8 @abigailmm @marcie12h @haleydaniels @sydneydragon @mchlfx @williamedwards @justjenny @fiddleman @jillnugent @tfandre @jasmith @mustardlypig @amandalbs @daricrogers @troutlily57 @katermorgan @salientia @peywey @valt @samantha_knight @inhat83 @ntx-sploch @taharms48 @dylapodiformes @clarissamolina @silvirs @dorothy12 @chandlerdavis @haleyharts @jessetate @kalamurphyking @tara-n @momnature @rkdale @donyoung @molly71 @sammyjames @lindadntmn @joshmols @karinsaucedo
There are hundreds of others, I know! Tag others that I may have missed, please! :)
Awesome, looking forward to it!
Woot!
Thanks, @sambiology; looking forward to it! :-)
@saltyhiker Ready, set, go.
Looks fun!
That typing sound you hear is me filling out my leave request for work.
Have it on my calendar.
The turtles will be out in force and so will I.
I am so ready! Hoping to be heathy at that time. You just never know? You plan to do something and life happens.
Thanks Sam!
I may be out of town this go around; trying to get back up to the Wichita Mountains again :)
Ready!
Can't wait! It'll be a great volunteer opportunity for our trainees!!
Can't. Fudging. Wait.
Fabulous
Let's do it!
@sambiology Will the observation area be the same as last year?
Can't wait!!
Ready for it!
Awesome! UNT will be out by then but I will spread the word to the students. Warms my heart that some are in this post.
@kaitlynn7 @beecaceres @savannahbug @andrew1258 @clarissamolina @christopher_graffam @minisnauzer @cmfox10
@alejandra114
@drawntoscales @sambiology....On the calendar for sure!
Shared wide and far! So ready for this.
Thanks, sambiology--I will put it on the calendar and try to do more this year!
Would I be able to isolate just the observations in Flower Mound for data to use ?
My favorite time of the year!!!! Guilt free playtime in nature!!!
Fantastic!
I am ready
Can't wait, but I guess I'll have to.
I'm all in and will be spreading the word.
See you there!
I can't promise which Texas metropolitan area(s), I'll play for, but I am most definitely in! 🥸
Looking forward to it !
On my calendar and will spread the word.
Sounds great, looking forward to spring. Nature collab, yeah!
Woohoo!
Let's do this!
Cannot wait!!
@sambiology shared this tool last year, and I really like it, so I thought I’d share this year. This takes the list of most observed species in the DFW area and shows which ones you have NOT observed. My goal is to cross off a few more from the list this year. Just replace “jaquiring” in the url with your username.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?hrank=species&place_id=57484&subview=grid&unobserved_by_user_id=jaquiring&view=species
@jaquiring Thanks for sharing that link again! Very helpful and good motivation.
@jaquiring that's how I found out that there are still 30 odes in the DFW area I haven't found yet. That's my summer goal. Gotta get them all.
@jblinde I’ve only observed 14 ode species in the DFW area... I think I need to learn from someone more knowledgeable. That’s one thing I love about iNaturalist– I’m always learning!
@j_ashman @devinpedraza @kaylarose23 @lochlynmcclure @stacytanner @emily_gee @laneneely @georgesims @andrew1258 @haleydaniels
I moved the end of UNT’s Ecology/Society for Ecological Restoration semester project to include the City Nature Challenge, despite it being technically after the semester ends. We’re getting excited to help!
Hey all,
Houston is still talking non-stop trash. How can we let this stand?!? And holy moly, look at all of the other TX cities that are participating:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/texas-city-nature-challenge-2021-cities
Which cities will dominate the leaderboard?!? It'll be fun to watch!
Hopefully folks here in DFW will get a chance to go out and engage with nature. There are so many great parks and places throughout DFW to explore, and hey, backyard observations count too! :)
I have several coworkers at USACE interested in the challenge this year. However, many are new to iNaturalist and will likely be a learning process for them. Do you have a video tutorial link I can share with them?
Here’s the results from the 2019 Challenge. I don’t think Houston has a chance 😉. I think a better question is, can we pass up San Diego?
It'd be interesting to see the observations per observer for the US cities.
They don’t have that statistic on their site, but if you want to figure that out, you can look at the number of observers per city and calculate the observations per observer.
A couple links to put on folks' bookmarks...
The TPWD City Nature Challenge page has been updated with all of the projects:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/texas_nature_trackers/naturechallenge/
And this is the one that we'll have to watch during the CNC:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/texas-city-nature-challenge-2021-cities
Houston claims again and again that they'll wipe the floor with all other TX cities... How can this stand?!? ;)
It won't! I have two new UV light setups and the rain is holding off tonight.
I have a UV light – how is it useful for the challenge?
Houston can try.
@jaquiring https://nationalmothweek.org/2012/01/12/light-mothing-as-in-mv-uv-incandescent/
Use it to light up a white sheet. It attracts all kinds of bugs and moths. Use a flash on your camera for best results.
I was wet last night here so didn't get much.
Thanks! I might give that a try tonight.
back in Dallas from a trip to the Wichitas in OK; will try to get out some tomorrow but for now I'm bushed.
Struck out on herps mostly but good birding and mammals. Some inverts but not as many as I expected (and I couldn't get any of the scorpions photographed, they just dug into the rock cracks or leaf litter ASAP).
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