City Nature Challenge invites residents to participate in virtual programming

Press release from The North Carolina Arboretum:

North Carolina residents are encouraged to get outside, celebrate their region’s biodiversity and support scientific research worldwide in the 2020 City Nature Challenge, a global citizen-science celebration to be held this Friday, April 24 – Monday, April 27. Throughout the four-day event, participants are encouraged to take photos of plants and animals found in their backyards and communities and upload them to iNaturalist, a mobile app that collects images of wildlife from around the world and is used by scientists for research and data processing. This year, the Challenge will not be a regional competition but rather a global collaboration that embraces the healing power of nature and supports scientists worldwide.
As part of the City Nature Challenge, 17 science and environmental organizations from across North Carolina will host virtual programming and other online activities over the weekend to encourage participation within respective their regions, including

·       Airlie Gardens, Wilmington
·       Asheville Museum of Science, Asheville
·       City of Raleigh
·       City of Wilmington
·       Dragonfly Nature Programs, Holly Springs
·       Duke Gardens, Durham
·       Gaston County Natural Resources Dept.
·       Greensboro Science Center, Greensboro
·       Highlands Nature Center, Highlands
·       North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill
·       North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Prairie Ridge, Raleigh
·       North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville
·       North Carolina Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs
·       Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, Corolla
·       Piedmont Wildlife Center, Durham
·       The North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville
·       Wonder Connection, Chapel Hill

 

“North Carolina is a unique state due in part to its varying landscapes and vast biodiversity within each region,” shared Jonathan Marchal, director of education at The North Carolina Arboretum and regional organizer for City Nature Challenge WNC. “In light of the COVID-19 crisis, we are excited to help bring North Carolinians a positive, engaging and educational activity that they can do in their own backyards or communities. The City Nature Challenge is a great way for people to get outside and discover their own world around them while also helping the scientific community.”
To participate in the City Nature Challenge, residents 13 or older are encouraged to download the free iNaturalist app on their iPhone or Android device, join their region’s City Nature Challenge project (Western North Carolina, Greater Charlotte Metro, Triangle Area or Coastal Plains), and then get outside and take pictures of nature. Children 12 or younger can submit their photographs to the ecoEXPLORE website, a free K-8 youth education program developed by The North Carolina Arboretum, which will then be added towards their region’s iNaturalist project.
“Anyone can participate with this Challenge,” said Marchal. “From a picture of a tree on your street to a squirrel perched on your porch, anything alive and wild counts.” Once photographs are uploaded, other users in the iNaturalist online community, including scientists, will help users identify unnamed species. “We really just want folks to discover and appreciate the vast amount of nature that is around them and have a positive activity that they can do safely at home,” continued Marchal.
Launched in 2016, the City Nature Challenge started out as a regional event between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Since then, it has grown to include more than 170 cities with more than 441,000 observations made.
For more information on the City Nature Challenge and details on events, please visit https://nccitynaturechallenge.com or join the City Nature Challenge event on Facebook.