City Nature Challenge – Halifax
FaceBook Page: @CityNatureChallengeHFX
Event Description and Summary
WHAT:
The City Nature Challenge is a global bioblitz event that celebrates citizen scientists, biodiversity and our environment while providing valuable information to scientists about our natural world. Cities from across the world compete over four days to see who can make the most observations of Nature, find the most species, and engage the most people. Started in 2016 as a regional competition between two cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles, the event has grown exponentially and now includes some 170+ cities, including: Port Harcourt, Nigeria; Rome, Italy; and Lima, Peru. Three Canadian cities are registered to take part: Richmond, British Columbia; Calgary, Alberta; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
WHEN:
? April 26 to April 29 – taking pictures of wild animals, plants, and all other life
? April 30 to May 4 – identifying what was found
? May 6 – winners announced!
HOW:
Participants in the CNC are strongly encouraged to download and use the online platform iNaturalist to record observations. Using your mobile device or a camera and desktop computer, individuals simply snap a picture of a tree or frog or lichen and upload the photo to the iNat site. A global group of curators and experts helps you identify what you saw and verify the data for use by scientists.
WHERE:
The Halifax event will take place throughout the entirety of Halifax Regional Municipality. Any observations of nature within this boundary uploaded to iNaturalist will be included.
WHO:
EVERYONE! You can participate individually, with your family, or as part of a nature club or team. The CNC HFX committee will be hosting several iNaturalist training workshops in advance of the event including April 6 2019 (10:30am to 2:30pm) at the Fairbanks Centre, Shubie Park, Dartmouth. More details from event host Clean Foundation, or on our Facebook Page.
CONTACT:
Dave Ireland, iNaturalist Canada, CNC Halifax Co-Chair: davehireland@yahoo.ca
Mary Kennedy, COINAtlantic, CNC Halifax Co-Chair: cnc2019hrm@gmail.com
