Are you ready to be a scientist for a weekend? From Friday through Monday, Dallas-Fort Worth is joining over 800 cities worldwide for the City Nature Challenge.
I spoke with Sam Kieschnick, an urban wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife, to get the scoop on how you can participate.
What is the City Nature Challenge?
It’s a global event where residents head outside to document the local biodiversity. Whether it’s a bird in a park, a bug in your backyard, or even fungi on a trail, every observation counts.
"We are documenting all of the birds, the bugs, the plants, the fungi... everything we see and sharing it with the rest of the world." — Sam Kieschnick
Why participate?
- Show off our biodiversity: Last year, DFW documented around 4,000 different species. Scientists can use this data to help determine how urban sprawl and climate change is affecting plants and wildlife.
- Help local conservation: The data collected is used by Texas Parks and Wildlife to talk to city councils and park boards about the importance of our local ecosystems.
- It’s completely free: Anyone with a smartphone can join in.
How to get involved
- Download the App: Get the iNaturalist app or visit inaturalist.org.
- Take Pictures: Head to your favorite park or even just step outside your front door. Snap photos of any wild plants or animals you see.
- Upload: Once you upload your photos to the app, they are automatically added to the DFW challenge tally.
Don't worry if you see people hunched over in the weeds or staring at the ground this weekend—they aren't lost, they're just documenting nature!
Happy exploring, DFW!
Help document nature in your backyard, and city parks
Help document nature in your backyard, and city parks
