Observe, snap, save: How to participate in the global City Nature Challenge from your backyard

The City Nature Challenge, a global effort to document urban wildlife, is poised for its biggest year yet with over 675 cities participating across seven continents. Kicking off on April 26, the four-day event encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals, and fungi using free mobile apps like iNaturalist From April 30 through May 5 online communities will collaborate to identify species that were photographed during the challenge, with the total number of observations and highlights from around the world to be announced on May 6. “Last year, India’s 20 participating cities had a much larger turnout than we expected, so it was clear there was a real need for community events like these,” says Ram Dayal Vaishnav, Education Director at CitizenScience.Asia. Expanding CNC to involve government departments, educational institutions, corporations, and civil society organizations shows a comprehensive approach to engaging all stakeholders in biodiversity conservation.” The CNC format of friendly competition across cities globally make this an inclusive, fun event to raise awareness on planet-critical issues like biodiversity loss and urban wildlife Indian cities are all set to make their mark on the world stage this year.