The City Nature Challenge is an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. It’s a bioblitz-style competition where cities are in a contest against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people. There is nature all around us, even in our cities and knowing what species live here and where they are helps us study and protect them. By participating in the City Nature Challenge, not only do you learn more about your local nature, but you can also make our city a better place.

Participants will look for and record plant, animal, fungi, and all other life forms and document them. Photographs are taken using either a smart phone loaded with the iNaturalist app or with a regular camera and then uploaded to the iNaturalist website later. The smartphone app works well with tracks and other signs of animals along with some insects and plants. Birds and mammals are best photographed with a camera and longer lens and then uploaded to the website.

This is a really fun experience and participants may document species the park is unaware of. No reservations are needed just show up ready to go. We'll conduct a short class starting at 1:00 p.m. on how to use the app and participants are welcome to stay beyond the 3:00 p. m. ending time. 

Join us on this day and let's see what we can find at Coldwater Spring.

No reservations are needed.

Instructions for attendees: You should have an iNaturalist account and, if you choose to use your smartphone, be sure to download and install the iNaturalist app from your digital store.

Questions? Contact: Gordon Dietzman 651-293-8410 gordon_dietzman@nps.gov