9th edition of ‘City Nature Challenge’ will take place from 26th April to 29th April
Out of 675 cities participating globally, 206 are from India
WWF-India is leading this collaborative, citizen-driven effort across several Indian states – Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and New Delhi
New Delhi April 25, 2024 – As citizen science initiatives build momentum around the world, this
year’s ninth annual City Nature Challenge (CNC) will take place in more than 675 cities across seven continents. With nearly a third of that number (206 cities) from India, the effort kicks off Friday, April 26 at 12:01 am IST, CNC runs through 11:59 pm on Monday, April 29. The global event calls on current and aspiring citizens, nature and science fans, and people of all ages and education backgrounds to observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals, and fungi using free mobile apps like iNaturalist.
This year WWF-India is leading this collaborative, citizen-driven effort across several Indian states – Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and New Delhi. Ms. Neha Raghav, Director Environment Education, WWF-India, says “CNC is a great opportunity to engage people of all ages in citizen science. It celebrates backyard biodiversity; I hope the fervor with which people participate continues.” The CNC format of friendly competition across cities globally makes this an inclusive, fun event to raise awareness on planet critical issues like ‘biodiversity loss’ & ‘urban wildlife’ Indian cities are all set to make their mark on the world stage this year.”
Shonali Chenzira’s, Senior Manager – Science & Nature Education, WWF-India is driving efforts in Delhi, she states “While Citizen Science as a phenomenon has taken India by storm, CNC is particularly unique as it eliminates the barrier of having to identify a species to take part. We have kids as young as 8 observing and contributing! This is in its truest essence – a people-powered movement. We have curated resources like a ‘Biodiversity Explorer Kit’ and will facilitate guided walks around Delhi and Gurugram. Please refer to the schedule of walks in Delhi and Gurugram: bit.ly/CNCWalks”
As scientists increasingly rely on community-generated data, it becomes more important than ever for common citizens to document nature observations on community science platforms like iNaturalist. From a study on bees in urban environments to a revision of the global biogeography of plants, 890 studies were published using iNaturalist data just in 2023. This data helps policymakers make informed conservation decisions that enable humans to coexist with the wildlife around them and view themselves as a part of, not apart from, nature.
Notably, the number of participating cities grew from 450 in 2023 to more than 675 in 2024—one of the biggest jumps in CNC history. This significant uptick is the result of a network of organizers in India who are bringing 206 new projects to the global effort. In 2023 from India, Hyderabad emerged as the top Indian city and 12th globally in CNC 2023.
Note to Editors:
After launching the first-ever CNC in 2016, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) and San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences (CAS) are hosting their ninth effort. Last year’s four-day Challenge included over 66,000 participants across more than 450 cities around the world to observe and submit pictures of wildlife they encountered. Participants added over 1.87 million observations of nature to iNaturalist, and scientists continue to use these data to understand and conserve urban wildlife. Indian cities are all set to talk about the importance of biodiversity conservation and the role of citizen science. Let’s spread the word about iNaturalist and prepare ourselves for the global city nature challenge.
Out of 675 cities participating globally, 206 are from India
WWF-India is leading this collaborative, citizen-driven effort across several Indian states – Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and New Delhi
New Delhi April 25, 2024 – As citizen science initiatives build momentum around the world, this
year’s ninth annual City Nature Challenge (CNC) will take place in more than 675 cities across seven continents. With nearly a third of that number (206 cities) from India, the effort kicks off Friday, April 26 at 12:01 am IST, CNC runs through 11:59 pm on Monday, April 29. The global event calls on current and aspiring citizens, nature and science fans, and people of all ages and education backgrounds to observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals, and fungi using free mobile apps like iNaturalist.
This year WWF-India is leading this collaborative, citizen-driven effort across several Indian states – Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and New Delhi. Ms. Neha Raghav, Director Environment Education, WWF-India, says “CNC is a great opportunity to engage people of all ages in citizen science. It celebrates backyard biodiversity; I hope the fervor with which people participate continues.” The CNC format of friendly competition across cities globally makes this an inclusive, fun event to raise awareness on planet critical issues like ‘biodiversity loss’ & ‘urban wildlife’ Indian cities are all set to make their mark on the world stage this year.”
Shonali Chenzira’s, Senior Manager – Science & Nature Education, WWF-India is driving efforts in Delhi, she states “While Citizen Science as a phenomenon has taken India by storm, CNC is particularly unique as it eliminates the barrier of having to identify a species to take part. We have kids as young as 8 observing and contributing! This is in its truest essence – a people-powered movement. We have curated resources like a ‘Biodiversity Explorer Kit’ and will facilitate guided walks around Delhi and Gurugram. Please refer to the schedule of walks in Delhi and Gurugram: bit.ly/CNCWalks”
As scientists increasingly rely on community-generated data, it becomes more important than ever for common citizens to document nature observations on community science platforms like iNaturalist. From a study on bees in urban environments to a revision of the global biogeography of plants, 890 studies were published using iNaturalist data just in 2023. This data helps policymakers make informed conservation decisions that enable humans to coexist with the wildlife around them and view themselves as a part of, not apart from, nature.
Notably, the number of participating cities grew from 450 in 2023 to more than 675 in 2024—one of the biggest jumps in CNC history. This significant uptick is the result of a network of organizers in India who are bringing 206 new projects to the global effort. In 2023 from India, Hyderabad emerged as the top Indian city and 12th globally in CNC 2023.
|
STATISTICS FROM CNC 2023 |
|||
|
|
Species Observed |
Observations |
Observers |
|
India |
4,874 |
86,261 |
1,327 |
|
Global |
57,227 |
1,870,763 |
66,394 |
Note to Editors:
After launching the first-ever CNC in 2016, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) and San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences (CAS) are hosting their ninth effort. Last year’s four-day Challenge included over 66,000 participants across more than 450 cities around the world to observe and submit pictures of wildlife they encountered. Participants added over 1.87 million observations of nature to iNaturalist, and scientists continue to use these data to understand and conserve urban wildlife. Indian cities are all set to talk about the importance of biodiversity conservation and the role of citizen science. Let’s spread the word about iNaturalist and prepare ourselves for the global city nature challenge.
How can you participate in the challenge?
For both budding and veteran nature lovers, participating is easy:- Find wildlife. It can be any wild plant, animal, fungi, or any other evidence of life (scat, fur, tracks, shells, carcasses) found in your participating city. Check out this guide for tips on finding the surprisingly abundant biodiversity in and around your own home.
- Take pictures and/or sound recordings of what you find using iNaturalist.
- Learn more on iNaturalist as your observations get identified!
- Get our ‘Biodiversity Explorer Kit’ to help you get started, anywhere anytime!
- Visit CNC India Website at https://www.citynaturechallenge.org.in/ to see list of participating cities from India and contact your zonal coordinator for any further questions.
iNaturalist
iNaturalist helps you identify the plants and animals around you while generating data for science and conservation. Signing up is easy and free. Visit inaturalist.org from your browser, or download iNaturalist from the Apple App Store or Google Play store.
