Looking for a way to get in touch with nature?
This weekend, London will take part in the worldwide City Nature Challenge for the first time, and it’s easy to get involved.
From Friday, April 28 to Monday, May 1, participants are asked to log “wildlife observations” using the iNaturalist app. Submissions can be in the form of photos and sounds.
To provide opportunities for Londoners to make these observations, over a dozen events will be held in the area this weekend, including guided hikes, workshops, bird-watching, and more.
A full list of City Nature Challenge initiatives happening this weekend can be found here.
All events are free of charge.
Londoners are also welcome to submit their own observations of uncultivated plants, wild animals, and fungi.
“The City Nature Challenge will be a fun way for us all to learn more about local biodiversity,” said Fanshawe College Professor Kari Moreland. My hope is that the London community will see how easy it is to use iNaturalist and start to help make wildlife observations year-round.”
The purpose of the City Nature Challenge is to keep track of global biodiversity through a shared database. Over 450 cities from 43 countries are involved in the competition. This will be the first year London participates.
“We live in a big country and scientists can’t be everywhere, but by using smartphones and digital cameras as tools, iNaturalist helps community members become citizen scientists and contribute to conservation management,” said Species at Risk and Biodiversity Specialist James Pagé with the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
For Canada, a total of 76,984 observations were made of 4,551 species last year.
