Love your flora and fauna? Then this might be for you.
For the first time, York is taking part in the City Nature Challenge – an initiative that encourages people around the world to find and document wildlife in their own cities.
And everyone is welcome to join the inaugural York City Nature Challenge from Friday 26 to Monday 29 April.
Described as a ‘global bioblitz’, the four-day challenge aims to raise awareness of the biodiversity in and around the city.
The initiative first started in 2016 as a competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco in the United States, and over the years has grown into an international event – with 450 cities around the world participating last year and over 1.8 million wildlife records submitted.
Over the four days, participants are invited to observe the wildlife around them and record it – either through photos or sound – creating biodiversity data for the city, which can then be shared with the community worldwide.
Anyone can join in this free challenge – all you need is the iNaturalist app to upload your findings to, to officially record it. The app can be used on your phone or computer.
Observations of wildlife can also be made during your normal daily activities – whether that’s your walk to work or school, or relaxing in your garden or local park. You don’t even need to leave home to participate as observations can be made from your window!
The findings of the challenge will help to inform conservation efforts and protect nature in the local area.
Various organisations in York will also be holding events throughout the four days to help participants connect further with nature – such as St Nicks, Rowntree Park, The Foss Fairy Trail, and York College.
Events will include crafting, bat walks, pond dipping sessions, organised walks, and more. Find out more about what events you can get involved in here.
To find out more about the York City Nature Challenge 2024, visit their website here.