This weekend’s Nature Kit is all about the City Nature Challenge taking place right now, in Philadelphia and cities across the U.S. Every Saturday, Nature Kits are given out on a first-come, first-served basis from 10:00 am–12:00 pm. Nature Kits focus on a different theme each week and are meant to be done along our trails and given back once completed. If you can’t make it out to the Center to pick up a kit, make sure to check our blog each week for ways to get in some nature exploration at home.
What is the 2021 City Nature Challenge?
An international event that takes place every spring, this friendly competition between participating cities is a way to get people outside to document plants and wildlife in their cities. From April 30 – May 3, all pictures of wildlife uploaded to iNaturalist in the Philadelphia region will be documented for the purpose of this challenge, with the goal being to record the largest number of species in our city. To participate, you can simply head outside and start taking pictures of all the wildlife species you see! (Don’t forget about those plants!)
To participate using the FREE iNaturalist app:
- Download iNaturalist from your app store or by visiting inaturalist.org.
- Create an account.
- Begin making observations!
- Tap the “+” sign in the bottom right corner.
- Select “take photo” and take your picture.
- Tap the “what did you see” button and select the picture that looks the most similar to what you saw.
- Hit the green check mark at the bottom.
- If you do not wish to download the app, you may still participate by using the observation cards below to record any wildlife observations!
Optional Wildlife Observation Cards (print as many as you’d like):
—Rebecca Deegan, Environmental Educator