One of the favorite challenges of the year for outdoor lovers happens this weekend: the City Nature Challenge.
This worldwide initiative aims to observe and identify as many wild organisms as possible—plants, animals, fungi, and more.
Cities around the globe compete to see who can make the most observations, find the most species, and engage the most people.
This Friday through Sunday, April 24-26, help the folks at Reflection Riding put Chattanooga on the map with free programming. Check out 20 free programs for all ages to get outside and explore nature:
- Friday, April 24: Birding Walk, Salamander Meader, Maintaining a Garden for Wildlife, Tree Identification, Owl Odyssey, Wild Wonders, Little Sprouts Gardening Lesson, Guided Eco-Hike, and Blacklight Insect Identification
- Saturday, April 25: Winged Wisdom, Fishing, Herpetology, Macroinvertebrate Demonstration, Wild Wonders, How to Observe Plants and Insects, Owl Odyssey, Woodland Walk, and Critter Crawl
- Sunday, April 26: Bird Banding
- Monday, April 27: iNaturalist Hike at Crabtree Farms
- Check out the schedule of programs here.
The City Nature Challenge is so much more than a day at the nature center—it’s a contribution to community science. By sharing observations digitally through iNaturalist, each finding informs scientific research and, by extension, conservation efforts.