If you've ever wondered about the plant next to your house or a bird you saw in passing at Garden City Lands, this challenge might be what you need.
The four-day City Nature Challenge will kick off next weekend in Richmond for the fourth consecutive year, and community members are invited to participate in this global initiative by taking photos of plants and animals around the city and uploading them for identification from scientists, experts and other naturalists.
Richmond's unique ecosystem along the Fraser River Estuary hosts a wide variety of local and migratory birds, indigenous animals and plants.
"Each nature observation and upload helps citizen and expert scientists collect valuable information about Richmond's biodiversity and gain a better understanding of the local ecosystem," reads the city's media release.
To participate, follow three simple steps:
- Download the free iNaturalist app on your mobile device from https://inaturalist.ca/.
- Join the Richmond community on the project page "City Nature Challenge 2023: Richmond, B.C."
- Turn on location data and use the app while recording photos and sounds of wild plants and animals in Richmond between Friday, April 28 and Monday, May 1, 2023.
Those who submit 50 or more original images will be entered into a random draw for a chance to win nature-related prizes provided by Richmond Nature Park and the city.
Last year, Richmond recorded 1,625 observations of 405 different species including the Pacific orange-crowned warbler, western sandpiper and western yellow pond-lily.
The 2023 City Nature Challenge will run from April 28 to May 1. Visit Richmond's page on iNaturalist to check out the community progress or the Canadian Wildlife Federation's page to see what other cities have discovered. All results will be released on April 8.
