The City Nature Challenge is an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities around the globe.
It’s a fun, easy, and family-friendly opportunity to get outside and connect with nature by documenting local biodiversity.
When participating, always stay on official, marked trails and keep a safe and respectful distance from wildlife.
Join the challenge!
From April 24 to April 27, 2026, take pictures or sounds of wild animals and plants and submit them to iNaturalist.
All observations submitted to iNaturalist within that time frame are automatically added to the challenge.
How to participate
Step 1: Download the iNaturalist app
If you prefer to submit your observations from a computer, you can do so via the iNaturalist website.
Step 2: Take pictures, record sounds and start uploading
Pro tip: If you are submitting your observations with your mobile phone, enable location permissions so your record will be automatically georeferenced.
Step 3: Share and identify observations on iNaturalist
From April 28 to May 3, you may continue to upload the photos and sounds taken from April 24 to 27. During this time, participants and scientists from all over the world will contribute by adding scientific names to the recorded observations.
Did you know? When several people agree, the record becomes “research grade,” which makes it relevant for research worldwide.
Guidelines
Please try to avoid posting observations of captive or cultivated organisms, especially trees and plants that are in gardens and arboretums. If you really want to include them, just be sure to tick the “captive/cultivated” box for the observation.
While participating, follow the principles of outdoor ethics: leave areas, objects and plants as you found them and stay on NCC official trails, at a safe and respectful distance from wildlife.
Stay connected
Use #CityNatureCanada and #CityNatureChallenge to share pictures of your outings, on social media.
Check out participating communities in real time: