From April 24 to April 27, Philadelphia and its adjacent counties will strive to recruit people to find as many species as possible, alongside hundreds of other cities around the world. Using the iNaturalist app as a tool, the City Nature Challenge encourages us to explore and document the biodiversity right where we live while producing reams of data useful for science and conservation.
And you might be surprised by just how much biodiversity there is to be found in Philly. The City has recorded more than 350 species of birds; numerous butterflies, including monarchs, live and breed in the city; there are snakes, frogs, dragonflies, foxes and bats — not to mention thousands of species of plants and fungi.
If you are interested in contributing and helping Philly win the City Nature Challenge, download the iNaturalist app (or visit inaturalist.org) and start documenting the wildlife in your area. For tips and more information, check out citynaturechallenge.org.
