The Chicago Region is participating in the City Nature Challenge, a four-day biodiversity competition in partnership with over 400 cities across the planet! But with thousands of possible plants and animals to see across our 14-county area, where do you start?
We’ve set some (OPTIONAL!) daily “location” and “species” challenges to guide you in your quest to discover and document urban wildlife. Every observation is important from the things you see every day to things you’ve never seen before.
Friday, April 28th
Level 1: Backyard
It’s day one of the City Nature Challenge, and where better to start documenting urban wildlife than in your backyard? Your location challenge for today is to find signs of life right where you live and upload it to iNaturalist!
Level 2: Bugs, look low to the ground
Bugs are some of the most important members of our urban ecosystem. From spiders, to ants, to butterflies, help us better understand their role by finding one and snapping a photo for today’s species challenge.
Saturday, April 29th
Level 1: Nearest park/nature place in your area
For day two of the City Nature Challenge, let’s venture to a local greenspace. In the Chicago region, we’re lucky to have many parks and preserves that are home to all kinds of wildlife. Today’s location challenge is to visit your local green space and upload an observation there.
Level 2: Birds (Robin, sparrow, etc.)
Did you know Chicago is one of the best places in the country to see birds? With over 300 possible species to see, finding one should be no problem. But getting a good photo? That might be a challenge for today’s species challenge.
Sunday, April 30th
Level 1: Nature center nature
Day three of the City Nature Challenge and your location challenge today is to go a bit farther. Nature centers are sanctuaries for plants and animals that are a bit harder to find. Visit your local nature center and upload an observation of wildlife you’ve never seen before.
Level 2: Diverse plants grasses, trees, flowers
From mighty trees, to beautiful flowers, to tiny moss, plants are all around us. Your species challenge for today is to upload a picture of a plant to iNaturalist.
Monday, May 1st
Level 1: Bring it back to your block
Day four of the City Nature Challenge and it’s time to bring it back home. We all live in a larger community with both people and wildlife. Who are your non-human neighbors? Today’s challenge is to find evidence of wildlife on your block and upload it to iNaturalist.
Level 2: Plant and animal interactions (trees & squirrels, bugs & plants, etc.)
Through the City Nature Challenge, you’ve interacted with wildlife all weekend. How do individual plants and animals interact with each other? Today’s species challenge is to find not one, but two species that are interacting such as a bee on a flower or a squirrel in a tree.
