Jan 29 Interest call for April/May 2021 DC area City Nature Challenge
Carrie Seltzer
Note: Please share this invitation with anyone you know who may be interested to find out more about the City Nature Challenge.
The City Nature Challenge is a friendly, annual, global event to record biodiversity. From April 30-May 3, 2021, participants will document wild plants, animals, and fungi using the iNaturalist mobile app and website. The Washington DC area is participating! Following the observation period, we'll all pitch in, with the help of experts, to identify what we’ve seen in our region through May 9. Regional and global results will be announced on May 10. It's a collective effort where you can participate from anywhere in the region.
Do you know an organization in the broader DC metro area that cares about nature? Please join an introductory call on Friday, January 29, 11 am - 12 pm to learn more about the City Nature Challenge and/or join our Google Group to stay in the loop.
The Washington Metropolitan Area has participated annually since 2017. Dozens of environmental organizations, parks, libraries, nature centers, and other local groups help spread the word. There are many ways to be involved and collaborate with other organizations.
Examples of organizer participation include:
Encouraging your audience via email or social media to get outside and make observations during April 30 - May 3
Incorporating the City Nature Challenge into existing programming or events
Posting signage at notice boards or trailheads
Helping organize a virtual event
Recruiting and supporting expert naturalists to make and identify observations
We encourage everyone to think about ways to broaden participation for underrepresented groups. We have outreach materials in Spanish and encourage bilingual events.
Think you're too far from DC to be included? Check! Beyond Washington, DC, the following counties in VA, MD, and WV are in range. Bold counties indicate places with relatively less past participation so we are especially interested to have groups from those areas, but organizations from any area are welcome to join.
Virginia
Alexandria
Arlington County
Clarke County
Culpeper County
Fairfax County
Fairfax
Falls Church
Fauquier County
Fredericksburg
Loudoun County
Manassas
Manassas Park
Prince William County
Rappahannock County
Spotsylvania County
Stafford County
Warren County
Maryland
Calvert County
Charles County
Frederick County
Montgomery County
Prince George's County
(Baltimore & surrounding counties organize separately--contact Maura Duffy at MDu...@aqua.org)
West Virginia
Jefferson County
You can see on iNaturalist what has been recorded each year in the City Nature Challenge and how participation has grown.
2017 >900 species and 200 people
2018 >1700 species and 900 people
2019 >2100 species and 1300 people
2020 >2300 species and 1600 people
We hope you’ll join this exciting collective effort in 2021, and we look forward to connecting with new groups across the region!
Carrie Seltzer (iNaturalist)
Stella Tarnay (Capital Nature)
Deborah Barber (The Nature Conservancy)
DC area CNC co-organizers