City Nature Challenge 2021 General Information and Bioblitz Dates and Locations

The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is an international effort to get people outside to document their local biodiversity. Over the course of four days, citizen scientists around the world will log as many observations of the natural world as they can. Then experts will help to identify those observations to see how many different species were documented.

CNC takes place in two parts:
April 30 - May 3: Taking pictures of wild plants and animals
May 4 - May 9: Identifying what was found

CNC was started in 2016 by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences as a competition between LA and San Francisco. Since then, it’s grown to include more than 400 cities, in more than 40 countries, across six continents! This is the first year that Sarasota and Manatee counties are participating in CNC, through Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Sarasota Manatee EcoFlora Project. We are partnering with The Nature Conservancy in Orlando to host a friendly competition among several Florida metro areas and we’re calling on everyone to participate!

Who should participate?

YOU! You don’t need to be a professional photographer, botanist, or naturalist to be a helpful citizen scientist. All you need is a smartphone or GPS-enabled camera, a free iNaturalist account, and a willingness to get out and explore! Our team, and the iNaturalist community, will help you with troubleshooting, photo tips, and species identification. Anyone can participate but only observations made in Sarasota or Manatee counties will contribute to this challenge!

Why should you participate?

There is nature all around us, even in our cities! Let’s get to know the plants and animals living around us in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Through documenting the species we have, we’ll discover what we need to protect. When you participate in in the CNC, you will learn more about nature in your area AND make our cities a better place for all species. And let’s not forget, it’s FUN and EASY to participate!

How to Participate

Join the project on iNaturalist, by creating a free account and searching for the City Nature Challenge Sarasota and Manatee Counties project. From April 30 to May 3, log as many observations as you can. Spread the word and encourage others to participate as well. It’s as easy as finding wildlife, taking a picture, and sharing!

Bioblitzes During the Challenge:

Friday April 30th

  • Phillipi Estate Park Bioblitz 9AM-12PM hosted by Sarasota County Parks and Services
  • South Lido Beach Bioblitz 9AM-12PM hosted by Sarasota County Parks and Services

Saturday May 1st

  • Potter Park Bioblitz 9AM-12PM hosted by Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and the Sarasota Manatee EcoFlora Project
  • Johnson Preserve Bioblitz 9AM-11AM hosted by the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast and Manatee County Parks and Recreation

Sunday May 2nd

  • To Be Announced!

Monday May 3rd

  • Rye Preserve Bioblitz 9AM-12PM hosted by Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and the Sarasota Manatee EcoFlora Project

Note we will be updating this list daily as more bioblitzes are added so check back soon! Be sure to dress for the weather, and bring water, sunscreen, bug repellant, and any other gear you may need for hiking in nature.

Publicado el viernes, 16 de abril de 2021 a las 07:56 PM por sean_patton sean_patton

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