NIAGARA FALLS, ON — The City of Niagara Falls is inviting residents to participate in the global City Nature Challenge, which will take place between April 26 and 29 in 153 countries. During this annual four-day event, participants will survey and catalogue native plants and animals found within their city boundaries by uploading pictures to a biological database using the free iNaturalist app.
This is a great opportunity for residents to enjoy nature while also contributing to important scientific research that helps to better understand and protect nature. The challenge is a friendly city competition that began in 2016 and has now grown into an international event. In 2023, over 66,000 people worldwide recorded more than 1.8 million observations.
This year, a friendly competition has been sparked between the City of Welland, the City of St. Catharines, and the City of Niagara Falls, the three local municipalities in the Niagara Region that are participating in 2024. Last year, the City of Niagara Falls won the challenge over the City of St. Catharines.
“We are all ready to get outdoors and explore after a long winter. What better opportunity than to participate in the City Nature Challenge and show off all of our forms of life, plants, animals, insects and more! Let’s get our phones out, and maybe a magnifying glass, if we want to get super-scientific about it, and find all the species we can!” said City of Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati.
To participate:
- Download the iNaturalist app on a mobile device.
- Venture out into the community to find wildlife.
- Take pictures of any plants, animals, or evidence of life that you find, noting the location.
- Share your observations through the app.
The challenge results will be announced in early May 2024.
For more information on the challenge and how to get involved, please visit niagarafalls.ca.
For more information, contact:
Jeff Guarasci
City of Niagara Falls
905-356-7521 ext. 3341
[email protected]
