An annual challenge is inviting Richmond residents to find out how many different species of animals and plants they can spot in Richmond.
The 2024 City Nature Challenge returns on the weekend of April 26 to challenge Richmondites to record local biodiversity and learn more about their surrounding environment.
Last year, community members recorded more than 300 species including the Caspian tern, cooper's hawk and yellow pond-lily.
Participants can simply record photos and sounds of wild plants and animals in Richmond between April 26 and 29 and upload them to the iNaturalist app, where scientists, experts and naturalists will help identify each observation.
The city is offering three chances to win a street banner:
- Four banners will go to randomly drawn participants
- Three banners will go to three participants with the most observations
- Three banners will go to three participants with the most species observed
Cities participating in this global event will also be competing against each other to see which records the most observations of plants and animals.
How to participate
- Download the free iNaturalist app on your mobile device from inaturalist.ca/.
- Join the Richmond community on the project page "City Nature Challenge 2024: Richmond, BC" (inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-richmond-bc).
- Turn on location data and use the app while recording photos and sounds of wild plants and animals in Richmond between Friday, April 26 and Monday, April 29, 2024.
To track the community's progress, visit the Richmond project page on iNaturalist. Progress for other Canadian cities can also be found on the Canadian Wildlife Federation's project page. All results will be released on Monday, May 6.
For more information on the City Nature Challenge, click here.
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