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City Nature Challenge

Join this international effort to find & document plants and wildlife worldwide!

It’s a bioblitz-style event where cities are work together to document and protect urban biodiversity. Because when you know what species are in our city and where they live, scientists and conservations can better study and protect them!

Help us identify and discover the biodiversity of Rochester in this four-day challenge!

There is nature all around us, even in our cities! To help document the biodiversity of Rochester from April 24th – 27th we will be snapping as many photos of wild plants and animals as we can. In order for us to have the most impact, be sure if you’re exploring with a group to not to capture the same subject twice!

By participating in the City Nature Challenge, not only do you learn more about your local nature, but you can also make your city a safer healthier place – for you and other species! Click the link below to download the app. We can’t wait to see all you capture!

Download INaturalist  Android | Apple

The City Nature Challenge will take place in two parts

Part One: Taking pictures of wild plants and animals: April 24th-27th

Part Two: Identify what was found: April 28th-May 10th

*Results of the event will be posted on the official CNC website on May 13th*

To participate download the iNaturalist app on your phone and make an account. Android | Apple

Be sure to upload the photos to iNaturalist and geo-tag them before April 29th to be included in the challenge!

From April 28th – May 10th help others in the community identify their photos & learn about new species as your finds get identified.

Zones included in the SPZ project for the CNC: Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, Yates

BioBlitz hike: Join two Naturalist for our CNC BioBlitz events in some of Rochester’s beautiful parks! The goal of these Bioblitz’s is to document the variety of plant, animal, and fungal species that exist in and around the City of Rochester. 

We will hike through these parks and stop to document the organisms we find on the iNaturalist APP. Throughout the hike we will give you opportunities to go out and explore areas on your own to see what you are able find. Be sure not to capture the same subject twice though. The more unique species we document the better!

Schedule of hikes:

*Registration required
**Paid hike

How do I upload and take photos on the iNaturalist APP?

1. Login to the APP on your mobile device. Click the link to download now!  Android | Apple

2. Go to the “observe” tab at the bottom of the page. From here you can select to use the camera, go to your photo library, or take a sound recording.

3. Once you select use photo at the bottom of the screen you will be brought to the “Details” page.

  •  By selecting the plus box next to your photo you can add more media to better ID the species
  • Select “what did you see?” and the app will recommend you some possible species. Select the option that best matches the photo you took.
  • Make sure the date, time, and location accurately match when and where you took the photo.
  • Also note if the species in the photo was captive/cultivated. For the CNC we want to avoid species that are not naturally occurring (Examples: planted tulips or a dog walking with its owner).

4. Once you have all this information put in, select “share” at the bottom of the screen. Make sure the photo is fully uploaded before closing the APP.

How to join the Seneca Park Zoo’s project for the City Nature Challenge:

Using the iNaturalist APP:

  • Make/login to your iNaturalist account.
  • Go to the project tab at bottom of the screen.
  • In search bar type: City Nature Challenge 2024: Rochester, NY (A project with the zoo logo should pop up.)
  • Select “JOIN” at the top of the page.

Using the iNaturalist Webpage:

  • Make/login to your iNaturalist account.
  • Go to the community tab at the top of the page. Select “projects” in the scroll down.
  • In the search bar type: City Nature Challenge 2024: Rochester, NY. A project with the Zoo logo should pop up.
  • Select “JOIN” at the top of the page.

Learn More

Link to Seneca Park Zoos iNaturalist CNC project page: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-rochester-ny

Learn more about the City Nature Challenge on the official CNC website: https://www.citynaturechallenge.org/

CNC FAQ: https://www.citynaturechallenge.org/faq

Reach out to the Seneca Park Zoo Community Science Coordinator, Laura Gaenzler, for any further questions about this event: [email protected]

The City Nature Challenge is organized by the citizen science teams at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences.