City Nature Challenge 2021: Regina and Area's Journal

May 4, 2021

The City Nature Challenge observation period has ended--bring on the IDs!

Thank you to all who participated in the City Nature Challenge 2021: Regina and Area observation period! Now begins the identification period that runs May 4th through May 9th.

For those of you that are familiar with iNaturalist, you know how important it is to achieve a “Research Grade” status through the iNaturalist app in order for the efforts of citizen scientists to qualify for useable data. A minimum of two agreeing IDs are needed before the observations can reach the status of “Research Grade”, and the iNaturalist community relies on experts to achieve this.

If you know what something is, suggest an ID on an observation that "Needs ID" to help it achieve "Research Grade" status.

Forgot to upload your photos to the project page, or ran out of time? As long as the photos were taken within the project boundary April 30th through May 3rd, you can still add your observations until May 9th to be considered for the City Nature Challenge!

Don't forget to submit your bingo cards (any line completed) to be entered in to win a prize pack. No proof necessary (i.e. you don’t need to submit pictures as proof). Email your completed bingo cards to Kayla.Burak@natureconservancy.ca to be entered in to win. In addition, the top observers and top identifiers on iNaturalist will receive a copy of “Being a Bird in North America” by Robert Alvo. Winners will be announced by May 10th, 2021.

Posted on May 4, 2021 04:01 PM by kpalmier kpalmier | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 29, 2021

Need some inspiration for the CNC? We've got you covered!

April 30th
Backyard Diversity:
April 30th is the first day of the City Nature Challenge! Need some inspiration? Why not start with a backyard blitz! Many native birds either migrate through Regina, or stay around all summer. Check your backyards for Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted and White-breasted nuthatches, yellow-rumped warblers and Northern flickers (to name a few!). Check beneath leaf litter (piles of leaves and other organic matter from last year's trees) for centipedes, isopods, spiders, slugs and beetles! Leaf litter provides a rich habitat of decaying plant matter, and is a key component of healthy soils. They also provide food for birds! American Robins can be found rummaging through leaf litter looking for worms or insects. Leaf litter is also an important overwintering habitat for many species (including pollinators). What can you find?

May 1st
Favourite Places:
May 1st is the second day of the City Nature Challenge! We hope you are having as much fun as we are! Today, we are interested in YOUR favourite places to explore nature! Where is your go-to happy place? What species can you find? We asked Dr. Ryan Ficher at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum what a few of his favourite places are to find wildlife in the Regina Area. Here are his responses:
City Hall : Watch for nesting peregrine falcons on the side of City Hall!
The Habitat Conservation Area: Here you can find all sorts of native species including Red-winged black birds, Hungarian partridges, Western painted turtles and White-tailed Jack Rabbits.
AE Wilson Boreal Island: Frequently spotted species include beavers, muskrats, brown creepers, dark-eyed juncos, and gray partridges.
Community gardens area in AE Wilson: Charismatic species such as pelicans, Western meadowlarks and Loggerhead shrikes have been reported in this area!

May 2nd
New Adventures:
Looking for new places to explore within the Regina Area? We’ve got a few suggestions for you! There are many amazing parks and conservation areas in and around Regina.

White Butte Trails (https://reginaskiclub.com/trail-conditions/white-butte-trails/)

Wascana Trails (https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/listings/1003/wascana-valley-nature-recreation-site)

Hidden Valley (https://www.natureregina.ca/hidden-valley)

Fairy Hill (https://naturedestinations.ca/destinations/fairy-hill-south-complex)

McKell Wascana Conservation Park (https://www.ducks.ca/places/saskatchewan/mckell-wascana-conservation-park/)

Condie Nature Refuge
(https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/listings/1002/regina---condie-nature-refuge)

May 3rd
New Adventures:
May 3rd is the LAST day of the City Nature Challenge! Our last feature focuses on parks and nature areas in Regina! You can find many native invertebrates (bees, beetles, worms, etc.), birds (waterfowl, song birds, hawks), turtles, beavers, and plants in urban ecosystems.

Check out this link to find a park/nature area near you: https://www.regina.ca/parks-recreation-culture/parks/

Please be mindful of the current public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 and be sure to practice social distancing, mask use, proper handwashing techniques. If you are considering exploring these areas with friends and family, please limit groups to 10 people or less. To ensure the safety of our community, if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or are feeling unwell, we suggest limiting your participation to your homes and backyards.

Posted on April 29, 2021 05:47 PM by kpalmier kpalmier | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 23, 2021

Fun ways to participate in the CNC -- from inside your homes to exploring parks and nature areas around the city of Regina!

There is only a week left until the City Nature Challenge! Looking for ways to document nature in your home, or at any of the amazing parks and nature areas around the city? Check out these resources (credit: California Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Los Angeles Natural History Museum (LANHM), the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)) 👇👇

Exploring Nature In and Around Your Home for the 2021 City Nature Challenge (Provided by CAS and LANHM):
https://drive.google.com/.../1q35TUdEFNbhlnQBeHxbn9u.../view

Family friendly Bingo Cards (Provided by the NCC)
Bird Bingo Card:
https://drive.google.com/.../1FirQO5fQwUSSdCVVp9i.../view...

Prairie Bingo Card:
https://drive.google.com/.../17IoAAB3aOzn2K8AEp4j.../view...

Wetlands Bingo Card:
https://drive.google.com/.../131jgQ8hyrp2tFdAWEs1.../view...

Forest Bingo Card:
https://drive.google.com/.../1WHS98zNyqLODIONDacX.../view...

Urban Bingo Card:
https://drive.google.com/.../14LlBFlr2eoPtQQrVMPf.../view...

How can you take part in the challenge? It’s easy! (1) Create a free account through iNaturalist.ca, (2) Record photos or sounds of plants and animals you see around the city April 30th through May 3rd, (3) upload your observations and locations using the iNaturalist app or digital camera photos to iNaturalist.ca. All observations made within a 55 km radius of Regina during the challenge will automatically be uploaded to the CNC 2021: Regina and Area project.

Unfamiliar with iNaturalist? Check out this webinar (https://www.natureconservancy.ca/.../cc-citizen-science.html), hosted by the Nature Conservancy of Canada April 26th, 6:30 MST.

Posted on April 23, 2021 04:49 PM by kpalmier kpalmier | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 20, 2021

Dr. Ryan Fisher from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum discusses how you can help document nature

As more birds and wildlife begin appearing in our neighbourhoods, Curator Ryan shares some resources on how you can record your sightings and contribute to science globally, and locally. Lend your curiosity and participate in the City Nature Challenge 2021 with the Royal Saskatchewan Museum from April 30 to May 3. Let's share what we discover!

https://fb.watch/4_IUpQfjCa/

(Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum)

Posted on April 20, 2021 04:24 PM by kpalmier kpalmier | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 19, 2021

Some of our favourite places to explore around Regina

The countdown until the CNC 2021: Regina and Area event is on! As of today, there are 10 days until the challenge begins. There are many amazing parks and conservation areas in and around Regina. Are you taking part in the CNC 2021: Regina and Area event? Consider checking out these locations to document nature April 30th through May 3rd!

White Butte Trails (https://reginaskiclub.com/trail-conditions/white-butte-trails/)
Wascana Trails (https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/listings/1003/wascana-valley-nature-recreation-site)
Hidden Valley (https://www.natureregina.ca/hidden-valley)
Fairy Hill (https://naturedestinations.ca/destinations/fairy-hill-south-complex)
Regina Parks and Natural Areas (https://www.regina.ca/parks-recreation-culture/parks/)
McKell Wascana Conservation Park (https://www.ducks.ca/places/saskatchewan/mckell-wascana-conservation-park/)

Please be mindful of the current public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 and be sure to practice social distancing, mask use, proper handwashing techniques. If you are considering exploring these areas with friends and family, please limit groups to 10 people or less. To ensure the safety of our community, if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or are feeling unwell, we suggest limiting your participation to your backyard

Posted on April 19, 2021 08:46 PM by kpalmier kpalmier | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 13, 2021

Global City Nature Challenge Video!

The folks at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences have released a video for the CNC 2021! Check out the video below to find out more about how participating in the CNC Regina and Area project helps a global citizen science initiative!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO45mO9BUJM

"What is the City Nature Challenge?

Invented by citizen science staff at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Lila Higgins) and California Academy of Sciences (Alison Young). The City Nature Challenge is an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. It’s a bioblitz-style competition where cities are in a contest against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people.

More Info

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we made some modifications to City Nature Challenge 2020 to help keep our organizers and participants safe. Firstly, CNC 2020 pivoted to be a collaboration rather than a competition. Instead, we wanted to embrace the healing power of nature and encourage the celebratory aspect of the CNC. This allowed people to safely document biodiversity in whatever way they could, even from the safety of their own homes. We urged all participants to carefully follow public health guidelines provided by their local governments, as they are changed in real-time. Individual safety and public health were and will be our utmost priority."

Posted on April 13, 2021 07:52 PM by kpalmier kpalmier | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 6, 2021

Welcome to the City Nature Challenge 2021: Regina and Area project page!

In the face of the pandemic, finding ways to come together safely as a community may be challenging, but they’re also more important than ever. This year, Nature Regina, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Friends of Wascana Marsh, Nature Saskatchewan and the Nature Conservancy of Canada are partnering to host a COVID-19 safe citizen science initiative, the City Nature Challenge, that takes place April 30th through May 3rd. The City Nature Challenge (https://citynaturechallenge.org) is an international collaboration organized by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. From wide-open spaces with plenty of room for social distancing to the biodiversity in people’s backyards, there are tons of safe ways for people within the Regina area to document native plant and animal species for science while fostering a sense of local--and global--community. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing information on how to take part in the City Nature Challenge including places to explore, how to use iNaturalist, and fun games the whole family can enjoy.

Unfamiliar with iNaturalist? Check out a webinar, hosted by the Canadian Wildlife Federation April 7th, 12:00 EST : https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IbuOJszfQbC2jUxM31dB2Q?fbclid=IwAR2-zp7alk-oWuSwlXBdzaXExRwOHc8NuWo6pt7BeA_F7hmkvS3iWZnz1_w

Other helpful iNaturalist links: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/video+tutorials

Posted on April 6, 2021 07:57 PM by kpalmier kpalmier

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