City Nature Challenge

Important CNC Dates:

• Make and share observations: April 24 – 27.
• Get all your observations uploaded and work on identifying them: April 28 – May 3.
• Results announced: Monday, May 4.

What are the boundaries of CNCSoFlo?

The CNCSoFlo encompasses Monroe, Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Collier counties.

Do I need to be at an official event to participate?

No, all you need to do is upload observations to iNaturalist during the dates of the competition. Events are just a fun way to intentionally participate in the CNC and connect with other link-minded people.

What if I can’t get all of my photos uploaded before April 27?

Photos taken between April 24 – 27 can be uploaded until May 4 at 9 a.m. and will be added to your city’s CNC project.

What is a bioblitz?

A bioblitz is a short period of time where scientists, community members, students, and families come together to record as much wildlife as possible within a designated area. This helps us understand an area’s biodiversity over time. Events can take place at the park, on the playground, underwater, or even on your front porch. For example:

• Guided nature walk
• Kayak or paddle tour
• Snorkel or dive
• Parks in the Dark
• iNaturalist Training

What is iNaturalist?

iNaturalist is a free platform—both a website and app—to record observations of plants and animals in nature. You use photographs to share what you’ve found, which contributes to a global dataset of biodiversity information used for both science and conservation. Making observations is as simple as taking photos of organisms (or evidence of those organisms, like tracks, nests, shells, or skulls.) iNaturalist will suggest possible identifications, and then when you upload those observations, the iNaturalist community works together to refine and confirm the identifications. Learn more about iNaturalist here.

Can I get service hours?

We know many students are looking for volunteer opportunities for school and ways to give back to the environment. Here’s how to receive service hours for participating in CNC:

• Create a FREE account on iNaturalist
• Get outside and photograph wildlife, or evidence of wildlife
• Upload these photos either through the iNaturalist smartphone app or inaturalist.org
• Email muve@frostscience.org with your username so we can confirm you have uploaded observations. Please include your full name in the subject line
• For every 10 observations you will receive an hour of community service, maximum of 10 hours (100 observations.)

Have any more questions? Email conservation@frostscience.org.