City Nature Challenge 2024: Utah's Wasatch's Journal

THANK YOU to all who participated in the City Nature Challenge this year! If you made 1 observation or 2,000+ (wow @bborgmannwinter and @dprasad !), you helped represent Utah's unique biodiversity on a global stage. Utah's Wasatch was one of 690 cities participating around the globe, with over 83,528 people contributing to nearly 2.5 million iNaturalist observations! Wow!

In Utah, we broke some records, with 9,151 observations you made MORE iNaturalist observations than ANY previous CNC in UT! (Note: results reflect our iNaturalist project as of 9am on 5/5/24) We'll share more info on fun finds here in Utah soon...but this post is highlighting the collective global effort of CNC 2024. See more below:

Global Results

There were so many cities participating this year, they had to be split into two umbrella projects:

• North and South America ( Utah's Wasatch ranked in the top 50 cities in this project!)
• Eurasia/Africa /Oceania

Here are some highlights from around the world:

Wow! Great observations for CNC 2024, Utah!! More will be rolling in this week as people finish uploading images...but we've already topped our total count for CNC 2023, 2022, and 2021! For observations (taken from 4/26-29) to count towards the official 2024 CNC tally, get them uploaded by the end of the day on Sunday, May 5th (but sooner is better!). Now, can any of you help us make IDs?

We've entered phase II of the City Nature Challenge - Uploading and ID/Verification. As observations continue to roll in this week, we need your help to identify and verify as many as possible - to enhance scientific validity of each observation and make note of any interesting or exciting finds. Here's how to help:

ID & Verify on your own

• Browse through Utah's Wasatch CNC project & make ID's when possible (or needed)
• Please only ID to the best of your ability - do not over-step your expertise. If you don't know, then don't ID!
• Come across cool observations (fun photos, interesting finds, unique observations, etc.)? Tell us about them in the comments of this post! We'll create a highlight graphic of observations made during the CNC, and one of your faves might just show up!

Interested to dive deeper into making IDs on iNaturalist?

• More info, tips and links: https://nhmu.utah.edu/citizen-science/what-is-inaturalist

• Read through this helpful Journal post from Utah's Hogle Zoo Conservation Department during the 2022 CNC:
  https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2022-utah-s-wasatch/journal/65427-need-some-help-with-identifying

Want to join an ID party?

• We're gathering at the Natural History Museum of Utah on Weds 5/1/24 for a brief crash course in HOW to make IDs in iNaturalist, and will then spend time making IDs . We highly recommend bringing your own mobile device, tablet, or computer to make IDs with. https://nhmu.utah.edu/events/inaturalist-species-id-party

Amazing exploring this weekend Utah! Even with cooler and wet weather, we've collectively made roughly 1,000 more observations than this time during the CNC last year. And we still have a day to go! Bravo! On this last day, what are you still hoping to photograph? Something you have been looking for? Boost your species diversity? Re-visit one of your favorite spots?

Reminders:

• Photos of WILD nature (or evidence of these wild things, e.g. scat, tracks, webs, nests, feathers, etc.) must be TAKEN from 4/26-4/29 (11:59pm tonight!)
• The kinds of images you share matter! When making an observation, consider including as much identifiable info as possible in your photo(s). This ideally means photographing the whole organism if possible, and potentially adding several additional pictures - e.g., if it is a plant, take a photo of the flower/seeds (if available), a photo of its leaves, AND a photo of the whole plant. Since folks online can't be there to ID in person, adding as much info in the image(s) you upload as possible is crucial to providing insights needed to identifying the organism you've photographed.
• We have until the end of the day 5/5 to get all photos uploaded - although the sooner images are added to iNaturalist the better (this will leave more time for ID before the 5/5 deadline).
• Global results of the CNC will be officially tallied as they look at 9:00am UT time on 5/6/24 - and will be shared out later that week!

Highlights from CNC Day 3 (Sunday, 4/28):

• This Hygroscopic Earthstar observation by @alexandermanwaring is only the 12th record of this fungus on iNaturalist (three others have also been photographed along the Wasatch during the 2024 CNC by @kmosbruger, @athene_cunicularia and @fungalellen!)
• This Brown Trout in Big Cottonwood Creek by @pu_erh_panda
• 50+ arachnid observations - @tigerbb, any fun arachnid highlights so far?

Global Bioblitz?
Utah's Wasatch is one of over 600 cities around the world taking part in the 2024 City Nature Challenge. There are so many cities this year, that projects had to be split across two different pages. Curious to see where Utah's Wasatch ranks so far in the competition? Browse through the project for North and South America to find our's: City Nature Challenge 2024: Utah's Wasatch (at the time of posting this article, Utah's Wasatch ranked 42nd in total number of observations).

Hey City Nature Challenge team! We’ve made it to the halfway mark of this years’ challenge, and folks across Utah’s Wasatch have already logged 2,863 nature observations - wow! Despite the rain, y’all have really shown up to document the incredible biodiversity our state has to offer.

Here are a few highlights from Day 2:

• A White-lined Sphinx shared by @bborgmannwinter
• This Great Horned Owl fledgling photographed by @irukandji
• And this incredible pollinator plant, Utah Milkvetch observed by @zacharyearl08

As the weather clears up over the next few days, we’re excited to see what nature emerges and what observations you’ll share!

Here are some events that Utah’s Wasatch partners are hosting over the remaining days of the challenge:

Sunday

• SLC Public Lands, Memory Grove Park Nature Observations, 10 AM - 12 PM
• Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter, Sunday Craft, 11 AM - 1 PM
• SLC Public Lands, Miller Bird Refuge and Nature Park Nature Observations, 3 PM - 5 PM

Monday

• Utah Open Lands, Utah Heritage Park Nature Observations, 1 PM - 3 PM

Let us know in the comments - how are you planning on getting outside today? 🌱🔍

Sierra Hastings
Communications & Development Specialist
Sageland Collaborative

Day 1 was rainy, but there was still lots to find! Many thanks to all who are recording Utah's unique biodiversity - it is exciting to see your great observations coming through! 3 More days of the City Nature Challenge - what else will you find!?

Here are just a few highlights from yesterday:
-This Woodhouse's Toad seen by @hmcentire
-This pair of Western Grebes photographed by @colbee1
-A Longhorn Steer's-Head seen by @kmosbruger

Seeing any observations you think are cool? Share them the comments below!

Nature is all around us in Northern Utah (even when it is rainy!), and we need your help photographing it from April 26-29, during The 2024 City Nature Challenge! This annual event is all about making as many iNaturalist observations as we can in 4 days. The observations you make will showcase Utah's unique biodiversity on a global scale, as we compete with other cities around the world to see who can make the most observations!

How to take part:

• Make iNaturalist observations of the wild things (or evidence of the wild things) you find in Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Summit, Wasatch, Weber and Utah counties from April 26-29.
• Observations made within the project's requirements will be automatically added to the local project, and also contribute to the collective global bioblitz, with over 600 participating cities.
• Explore on your own, or join a local event
• Get the word out to your friends and family!
• Join the 2024 City Nature Challenge: Utah's Wasatch project for updates.
• You must take your photos from April 26-29, but have until May 5th to get everything uploaded to iNaturalist

Here's how to get connected in Utah:

• Looking for a local event, ways to connect, or fun resources for educators, families, or anyone interested in this year's City Nature Challenge? Visit The Natural History Museum of Utah's CNC webpage for more info: https://nhmu.utah.edu/citizen-science/challenge
  
• Interested in local competition? See where you rank throughout the 2024 Challenge on this dashboard
• Interested to see how you rank globally? Check in on this project as the CNC progresses

Looking for some motivation? These are some taxa and areas that tend to be under-surveyed during the CNC in Utah:

• Fungus (find those mushrooms!)
• Fish
• Amphibians
• Alpine plants
• Box Elder, Summit and Wasatch Counties

City Nature Challenge 2024 important dates:

• Take photos of WILD things from April 26-29
• Complete uploading images as observations to iNaturalist from April 30-May 5
• Help make IDs and verify observations in the project from April 26-May 5

Last year, the 2023 Utah's Wasatch project gathered just over 5,000 observations...can we make more this year? We can't do with without you!

We'll be out there photographing nature with you. Good luck, we are so excited to see what you find!

Happy Exploring!

Ellen Eiriksson, Citizen Science Program Manager at the Natural History Museum of Utah & the 2024 Utah's Wasatch Partner Organizations: Basin Recreation, USFWS Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, City of Eagle Mountain, Eagle Mountain Nature & Wildlife Alliance, Jordan River Commission, Sageland Collaborative, Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District, Salt Lake City Park Rangers, Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter, Thanksgiving Point, Tracy Aviary, Utah Lake Authority, Utah Valley University College of Science, and Utah’s Hogle Zoo.

Hey there!

Can you believe that the 2024 City Nature Challenge starts tomorrow?! We cannot wait to get out and observe the wonderful nature that Utah’s Wasatch has to offer. From the alpine mountaintops to the sandy shores of Great Salt Lake, and everything in between, nature has a wonderful way of presenting itself in the most delightful ways.

As we slow down over the next four days, I encourage you to look not just for the big and flashy, but for the charismatic microfauna that often go unnoticed in the grand landscapes of the west: Utah’s Pollinators!

Bees, butterflies, beetles, flies, moths, hummingbirds, bats, ants, and more! These pollinating species play a critical role in our ecosystems and are responsible for the reproduction of 85% of the world’s flowering plants.

Insects are responsible for the majority of pollination that affects our daily lives, and accounted for 183 species (21%) of last year’s Utah’s Wasatch City Nature Challenge observations!

Here are some of our favorite insect observations from the 2023 City Nature Challenge:

• This Desert Marble shared by Kayla Echols
• This Hairy Bear Scarab Beetle observed by Todd Black
• And this Western Tiger Swallowtail by Kiss Jacobson

Tips for observing:

1. Get out early, stay out late: The best times to observe pollinators are in the ‘shoulder-hours’ of the days when they are just warming up and may be a bit slower moving.
2. Sit still: it’s amazing how when you sit in a place for long enough, you begin to notice all the small things happening around you. Find a spot in your garden, local park, or nearby hiking trail to enjoy the hum and buzz of pollinator peace.
3. Videos are your friend: Fast moving pollinators can be tricky to capture in a photo, so my favorite way to document for ID is by taking a video of the species as it moves about, screenshotting, and cropping so the insect is the focus of the shot.

Nature and its small wonders are all around us, and we hope you get a chance to appreciate the tiny critters that make life on earth amazing over the next four days.

What pollinators will you observe? 🐝🦋🐞

Sierra Hastings
Communications & Development Specialist
Sageland Collaborative

Hello Utah’s Wasatch!

Not only are we just a mere four days away from the start of the City Nature Challenge, but today is also Earth Day! What a great way to start the beginning of the week leading up to the City Nature Challenge. Here’s hoping Earth Day will be a warm up for you and motivate you to participate and contribute to this annual global bioblitz.

Our “city” is called the Utah’s Wasatch and includes Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Summit, Utah, Wasatch, and Weber counties.

This year marks the 8th year of the City Nature Challenge and we need your help again to make observations of nature in Northern Utah. Last year our team made 5,082 observations of nearly 850 species! Are you up to the task of topping those numbers? I think we can do it!

How to participate:
• Using iNaturalist, make observations of any wild living things (or evidence of wild living things, like scat or tracks), this includes ANY plants, animals, fungi, etc. you find in the participating counties between April 26-29.
• Tell your friends and family about CNC and that iNaturalist is free! You can use it on a phone or computer. Every observation made within our project boundaries will automatically count towards the CNC!
• Get outside and explore
• Participate in upcoming events during April 26-29
• Join the official project on iNaturalist to stay up to date: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-utah-s-wasatch

Other info for the CNC can be found on The Natural History Museum of Utah’s CNC webpage: https://nhmu.utah.edu/events/2024-city-nature-challenge

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, April 24:
Nature Walk with Tracy Aviary and Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District (Free event!)
Where: Day-Riverside Library
Time: 3:30 – 4:30 PM
More info: https://events.slcpl.org/event/10488028

Saturday, April 27:
The 3rd annual City Nature Festival! (Free event!)
Where: Nature Center at Pia Okwai (previously named the Jordan River Nature Center)
Times:
9 AM – 10 AM Biking and Birding
9 AM – 10 AM: Bird Walks, Spanish and English Language
10 AM – 2 PM: City Nature Festival Open House, includes tabling from event partners: Natural History Museum of Utah, Tracy Aviary, Utah's Hogle Zoo, USFWS Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement
More info: https://nhmu.utah.edu/events/city-nature-festival

Let the countdown begin! Let’s do this, and let’s beat last year’s number of 5,082 observations!
Best of luck and happy exploring!

Michele Rehbein, Ph.D., C.E.
Education Specialist
Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District