City Nature Challenge 2024: New York City's Journal

The results are in for 2024! Thank you to everyone who participated in the City Nature Challenge in New York City and around the world!

This year, 690 cities across 51 countries participated in the City Nature Challenge and together we've beaten last year's global observation record! Over 83 thousand people across the globe made over 2.4 million observations of over 65 thousand species. The most observed species globally was the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). The global organizers at the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of LA created an awesome infographic with these results and some other interesting finds. Check it out here.

New York City Results

Wow, NYC! You did an amazing job! Together, NYC had 25,314 observations of 2,193 species made by 987 people! This is over 10K more observations than last year and just 445 observations shy of our 2019 record. Of our 2024 observations, 22,238 of them are verifiable and represent 1,967 species for New York City.

CNC brought 431 new NYC observers to iNaturalist and (currently) 9,808 new "Research Grade" observations. There are 95 new to iNat species for NYC from our verifiable observations and of those 19* new to iNat species have been confirmed as Research Grade. Great job, everyone! *Note: this has been corrected from 22 to reflect the 9am 5/6 results (although this number will continue to change going forward).

The City Nature Challenge is a collaborative celebration of biodiversity and the 691 participating cities were not competing against each other. However, as always, we do have some interesting comparisons to report. Out of the 56 similarly-sized geographic areas (between 500-999 sq. km), New York City is ranked FIRST for observations and number of observers! We're second behind Berlin for number of species found.

Let's give a shoutout to our top observers, species finders, and identifiers in NYC, and an extra special shout out to @mugglelissa who is ranked #19 globally for observations in the whole City Nature Challenge!

Top 10 NYC Observers

@mugglelissa, @bzedu, @jesseanne, @zitserm, @klodonnell, @srall, @lisabrundage, @zihaowang, @kirasofiia, @chipwilcox

Top 10 NYC Species Finders

@zihaowang, @zitserm, @mugglelissa, @srall, @bzedu, @chipwilcox, @jesseanne, @siwnaturalist, @nycnatureobserver, @sus_scrofa

Top 10 NYC VERIFIABLE Species Finders

@zihaowang, @zitserm, @mugglelissa, @srall, @chipwilcox, @bzedu, @siwnaturalist, @sus_scrofa, @klodonnell, @nycnatureobserver

Top 10 NYC Identifiers

@nycnatureobserver, @hcoste, @peakaytea, @spuytenduyvilny, @spaceopossum, @sus_scrofa, @foxsu, @xris, @zahnerphoto, @igor_kuzmin

Observation Highlights

Here are some exciting finds from our NYC observation list. Let us know in the comments below what you were most excited to find or if any of the observations from the list are particularly exciting to you.

@xris found a mating pair of Telmatogeton japonicus in Sunset Park. It's one of only 22 records on iNat and of only 4 in NYC. ETA: @zitserm found the first record during the 2022 City Nature Challenge.

@zihaowang, @pilcrowchevron, and @lovisalden observed Dacne picta in Brooklyn and these three observations are the first records on iNat for this species in all of North America.

@djringer took some fantastic photos and wrote a nice description of this Pileated Woodpecker on Governors Island.

And finally, not a rare species, but a couple of project members really enjoy the strut of this Boat-tailed Grackle (second photo) observed by @siwnaturalist. It's very New York.

Battle of the Boroughs

The Bronx stayed strong throughout the challenge and is the winner for the most observations. The most species were found in Queens, and the most observers were in Brooklyn.

Let's also recognize the top observer and species finder in each borough. Many of them are returning champions. They are:
Bronx: @mugglelissa (both)
Brooklyn: @lisabrundage (obs) and @zihaowang (spp)
Manhattan: @jesseanne (obs) and @nycnatureobserver (spp)
Queens: @zitserm (both)
Staten Island: @srall (both)

And let's give a big thank you to our borough captains for leading the way in their boroughs: @xris and @cofa in Brooklyn.

Greenspace Race

This year, 14 NYC green spaces joined the Greenspace Race. Together, 325 observers made 9,235 observations of 1210 species. That's almost double their 5000 observation goal, which they reached on Day 3.

MANY THANKS

We absolutely could not run a successful CNC:NYC without all of our wonderful partner organizations: Alley Pond Environmental Center, American Museum of Natural History, Billion Oyster Project, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, City Parks Foundation, Eastern Queens Alliance, Fort Greene Park Conservancy, Friends of McGolrick Park, Friends of Spuyten Duyvil, Genspace, Girl Scouts of Greater NY, Green-Wood Cemetery, Greenbelt Conservancy, Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy, Local Nature Lab, Macaulay Honors College, Manhattan Land Trust, Natural Areas Conservancy, New York Botanical Garden, North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, NYC Parks, NYC Pollinator Working Group, Pratt Institute Math & Science Department, Randall’s Island Park Alliance, Solar One, The Bee Conservancy, The High Line, Torrey Botanical Society, Trust for Governors Island, Urban Park Rangers, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, and Washington Square Park Eco Projects. Everything you did for CNC has helped us get a huge number of New Yorkers out observing the nature of our city. Thank you for everything you did to make this year an amazing success, including attending planning meetings, spreading the word about CNC, and making your own observations and identifications, and many many thanks especially to those of you who hosted or organized CNC-related events this year to help people participate in the challenge. You all are what makes the City Nature Challenge such a success! THANK YOU!

We also would like to thank some fantastic Macaulay Honors College student volunteers who attended events and served as iNaturalist pros to help the participants started on iNaturalist: @yellowtulip, @radar_j , @eri-k-a, @selyu, @slin015, @respectable_absorption, @gretcheninthecity, @tiffany_marchese1, @xylofish, and @edcnewyork. THANK YOU!

We would also like to thank the office of New York City Council Member Gale Brewer for her generous support of the City Nature Challenge in NYC. Funds provided by her office allowed us to create City Scientist Kits to give out at some of our public events, which contained items to help add details to iNaturalist observations. THANK YOU!


The dates have already been set for next year's CNC: April 25, 2025 - April 28, 2025! It will be the TENTH CNC and the theme will be "Bring the Globe Together for Biodiversity." For NYC, there won't be much activity until late in Summer 2024, but if you join the CNC:NYC 2025 project page now, you'll get updates when they are posted. Until then, happy observing!

Thank you, NYC, for a great City Nature Challenge!

Our virtual ID party is tomorrow, Wednesday May 1 (details below). We're going to try to get through as many observations as we can to help get our species numbers up! While we're doing that, we're going to look for cool observations we can share with the global organizers of CNC. If you can't make it to our ID party, let us know about your observation highlights in the comments below. Here's what they are particularly interested in:

• species that haven’t been recorded in particular areas before
• important finds of rare/endangered/threatened species
• observations that have a great story that go along with them
• really great photos
• other fun finds or personal favorites
• urban contrasts, nature taking over, marginal spaces, etc.

Leave a comment below with a link to the observation!

Here are the details for our last ID party:

City Nature Challenge NYC Virtual ID Party
Date: May 1, 2024
Time: 5:30p-7:30p
Host: Macaulay Honors College
Location: Zoom
Description: Grab a snack and a tasty beverage and hop on our Zoom with @klodonnell to make identifications together! No taxonomic experience necessary - everyone is welcome! The basic format will be a quick intro about how to ID observations and then you'll work on them on your own while on the call. We'll hang out and chat about the cool critters people have found or the funny observations people have made.
Registration: via Eventbrite.

WOW! We are only about 3000 observations under our top observation count for a CNC:NYC. Get those observations in between now and 9am EDT May 6 in order for them to count in our official results.

Battle of the Boroughs update: Same as yesterday. The Bronx is on top for both observations and species. Brooklyn is ahead of Manhattan by ONE observer.

Join us on Wednesday for our Virtual ID Party at 5:30 pm on Zoom. Register via Eventbright.

It's almost the end of day 3 and we're over 2000 observations ahead of our 2023 total! We also currently have the top species count of any of our previous NYC CNCs. The weather today was great and we're looking at another good one tomorrow. Let's finish strong, NYC!

Battle of the Boroughs update: The Bronx is now on top for both observations AND species! Brooklyn has also moved ahead for most observers!

Green Space Race Update: The 14 green spaces have reached their goal of 5000 observations! Congratulations!

We have a few more events left for Monday. See below:

Bronx

Riverdale Park - City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 2p-4p
Host: Torrey Botanical Society
Location: Riverdale Park
Description:Join us for a nature walk through Riverdale Park to get in some final observations on the last day of the observation period. We will meet at the northern entrance to the park and make our way throughout the park, ending in the Raoul Wallenberg Forest near 232nd street.
Registration: via Eventbrite.

Brooklyn

Billion Oyster Project Public Volunteer Event
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 4p-6p
Host: Billion Oyster Project
Location: Valentino Pier
Description: Join Billion Oyster Project's effort to restore New York Harbor by volunteering to collect data on the health of the oysters at one of our Oyster Research Station Hubs. During this event, you’ll assist our team in collecting scientific data, meet some of New York Harbor’s most interesting marine creatures, and enjoy a beautiful day on the waterfront!
Registration: Required at this link.

Manhattan

Washington Square Park Subtle Beauties: City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 10:30a-11:30a
Host: Washington Square Park Eco Projects
Location: Washington Arch
Description: Join us on April 29, 10:30-11:30 am for Washington Square Park Subtle Beauties. We will leave from the Arch to seek out plants, such as the native Common Blue Violet, less obvious than the showy cherries. No RSVP required. See you there!
Registration: None needed.

Queens

All-Ages Spring Walk - City Nature Challenge
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 10a-11:30a or 11:30a-1p (two walks to choose from)
Host: Alley Pond Environmental Center
Location: Alley Pond Park
Description: Join us to help observe and record different species on a guided walk around our trails! We will be using iNaturalist to document biodiversity like birds, plants, fungi, invertebrates, or other nature clues. These observations will contribute to the 2024 City Nature Challenge! Please bring a water bottle, weather appropriate clothes and shoes, and download the free iNaturalist app on a mobile device. All ages are welcome, and participants ages 14 and under will need to be accompanied by an adult.
Registration: Registration required. To register for the 10a-11:30 walk, click here. To register for the 11:30a-1p walk, click here.


City Nature Challenge: Cunningham Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 5p-6:30p
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Cunningham Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on another hike around Cunningham Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how
Registration: via NYC Parks website.

It's 10:45pm and we have over TEN THOUSAND observations! Not that there is going to be a winning city, but we're in the top 20 for observations out of the 691 cities participating! KEEP IT UP, NYC!

Battle of the Boroughs update: We've still have the same three-way split: The Bronx has the most observations, Queens has the most species observed, and Manhattan has the most observers.

Green Space Race Update: The 14 green spaces are 77% of the way to their goal of 5000 observations!

We still have some great events to attend Sunday and Monday. See below:

Events by Borough

Bronx

Brooklyn

Manhattan

Queens

Bronx

Riverdale Park - City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 2p-4p
Host: Torrey Botanical Society
Location: Riverdale Park
Description:Join us for a nature walk through Riverdale Park to get in some final observations on the last day of the observation period. We will meet at the northern entrance to the park and make our way throughout the park, ending in the Raoul Wallenberg Forest near 232nd street.
Registration: via Eventbrite.


The Bee Conservancy CNC Event
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 4:30p-6p
Host: The Bee Conservancy
Location: TBD
Description: Details to come.
Registration: TBD

Brooklyn

Calvert Vaux Park - City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 9:30a-11:30a
Host: Torrey Botanical Society
Location: Calvert Vaux Park
Description:Join us for a nature walk at Calvert Vaux Park during the City Nature Challenge! Calvert Vaux Park is a hotspot for migrating birds and interesting plants such as Scerochloa dura, Setaria parviflora, and Glyceria declinata. Uncommon lichens have also been found on the trees planted here.
Registration: via Eventbrite.


City Nature Challenge Family Day
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 10a-1p
Host: Green-Wood Cemetery and Genspace
Location: Enter Green-Wood through the Main Entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street (500 25th Street) and find the event “home base” at Green-Wood’s Historic Chapel
Description:Green-Wood Cemetery and Genspace have planned an adventurous morning of activities and learning for kids of all ages. Expert naturalists will be leading walks to collect data on birds, insects, fungi, and plants at the Cemetery for the City Nature Challenge every half hour between 10:30am and 12:30pm. Microscopy activity stations will offer an opportunity to view nature up close. At 11am, Genspace will lead a 45-minute walk about how the climate crisis affects the trees at Green-Wood.
Registration: not required, but recommended. Click here. More info about the event is also at that link.


City Nature Challenge McGolrick Park Bio-Blitz
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 11a-1p
Host: North Brooklyn Parks Alliance
Location: McGolrick Park Pavillion
Description: Join North Brooklyn Parks Alliance for a pollinator bioblitz workshop for City Nature Challenge. We will be documenting spring pollinators amongst McGolrick's blooming flowers. We will guide volunteers on identifying plants and pollinators using the iNaturalist app in tandem with the global push to document our biodiversity.
Registration: via NBKParks website.


Billion Oyster Project Public Volunteer Event
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 4p-6p
Host: Billion Oyster Project
Location: Valentino Pier
Description: Join Billion Oyster Project's effort to restore New York Harbor by volunteering to collect data on the health of the oysters at one of our Oyster Research Station Hubs. During this event, you’ll assist our team in collecting scientific data, meet some of New York Harbor’s most interesting marine creatures, and enjoy a beautiful day on the waterfront!
Registration: Required at this link.

Manhattan

Billion Oyster Project Public ORS Monitoring
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 10a-1p
Host: Billion Oyster Project
Location: Governors Island, Pier 101
Description: Join Billion Oyster Project's effort to restore New York Harbor by volunteering to collect data on the health of the oysters at one of our Oyster Research Station Hubs. During this event, you’ll assist our team in collecting scientific data, meet some of New York Harbor’s most interesting marine creatures, and enjoy a beautiful day on the waterfront!
Registration: Required at this link.


City Nature Challenge Community Bio-Blitz
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 11a-1p
Host: Solar One
Location: 20th St and Ave C entrance to Stuy Cove Park
Description: Let's do a little citizen science and start tracking the wildlife as they return to our newly redesigned park. We'll use inaturalist and a host of identification tools to try and pinpoint which types of birds, bees, fungi, etc we find, discussing the importance of biodiversity in our cities and how we can help foster it. We recommend folks bring sun protection and reusable water bottles- we have water for refills on site. Smartphones with any identification apps always welcome, though we'll have some too.
Registration: via SignUp.


Washington Square Park Subtle Beauties: City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 10:30a-11:30a
Host: Washington Square Park Eco Projects
Location: Washington Arch
Description: Join us on April 29, 10:30-11:30 am for Washington Square Park Subtle Beauties. We will leave from the Arch to seek out plants, such as the native Common Blue Violet, less obvious than the showy cherries. No RSVP required. See you there!
Registration: None needed.

Queens

City Nature Challenge: Forest Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 9:30a-11a
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Forest Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Forest Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how!
Registration: via NYC Parks website.


City Nature Challenge: Cunningham Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 1p-2:30p
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Cunningham Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Cunningham Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how!
Registration: via NYC Parks website.


All-Ages Spring Walk - City Nature Challenge
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 10a-11:30a or 11:30a-1p (two walks to choose from)
Host: Alley Pond Environmental Center
Location: Alley Pond Park
Description: Join us to help observe and record different species on a guided walk around our trails! We will be using iNaturalist to document biodiversity like birds, plants, fungi, invertebrates, or other nature clues. These observations will contribute to the 2024 City Nature Challenge! Please bring a water bottle, weather appropriate clothes and shoes, and download the free iNaturalist app on a mobile device. All ages are welcome, and participants ages 14 and under will need to be accompanied by an adult.
Registration: Registration required. To register for the 10a-11:30 walk, click here. To register for the 11:30a-1p walk, click here.


City Nature Challenge: Cunningham Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 5p-6:30p
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Cunningham Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on another hike around Cunningham Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how
Registration: via NYC Parks website.

It's 11pm and we have over 4000 observations added on Day 1 of the City Nature Challenge. This is our highest Day 1 observation count ever in NYC! Great job, observers!

Battle of the Boroughs update: We've got a three-way split: The Bronx has the most observations, Queens has the most species observed, and Manhattan has the most observers.

Here are the first observations of CNC from each borough:
@mugglelissa with an Eastern Redcedar in the Bronx (our first observation for the whole CNC:NYC, coming in at 5:46am)
@elharo with an American Robin in Brooklyn
@betsyyy with a Celandine Poppy in Manhattan
@matthew428 with a Viburnum in Queens
@siwnaturalist with a Wild Turkey on Staten Island

Green Space Race Update: The 14 green spaces are 26% of the way to their goal of 5000 observations!

Tomorrow's weather looks similar to today's but with a few more clouds. Should be great for observing! Day 2 is our biggest day for public events with 18 events across all five boroughs. Check out the event list here.

Happy observing!

We have many exciting FREE events all over the city during the four days of the City Nature Challenge. Come observe with us!

These events are all open to the public, but some do have limited space and require registration ahead of time. The registration links are provided below. Thank you to all of our great partner organizations for hosting these events! Let's go NYC!

If you're looking for some tips on getting started, we recorded our CNC:NYC Getting Started webinar April 17. Click here to watch. And once the observation days are over, join us on 5/1 for our Virtual ID party. More info and registration are on this Eventbrite page.

UPDATE 4/24: Several new events added for Queens and one more for the Bronx!

We have organized events by borough. Jump to your borough of choice:

Events by Borough

Bronx

Brooklyn

Manhattan

Queens

Staten Island

Bronx

City Nature Challenge: Seton Falls Park Forest Restoration
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 9a-12p
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Seton Falls Park
Description: Join NYC Parks staff for a City Nature Challenge- Forest Restoration event to protect and learn about and protect the forested areas of Seton Falls Park. Volunteers will contribute to ongoing restoration work and learn the importance of species diversity to ecosystem health. For the City Nature Challenge portion of the morning, volunteers will learn how to identify spring plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature found along the way. The hike will not be strenuous and we will stay on trails, but please make sure to bring water, a snack, and your smartphone! If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how! Come dressed in sturdy boots or shoes, long sleeves, long pants, and clothing that can get dirty.
Registration: via NYC Parks website.


Van Cortlandt Park BioBlitz: City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 10a-1p
Host: Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
Location: VCPA Garden & Compost Site, Broadway and Mosholu Ave
Description: Join us at the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance to showcase the Bronx and Van Cortlandt Park's rich biodiversity! We'll provide guidance on using the iNaturalist app effectively and share strategies for making valuable observations. Whether you prefer to explore the garden or venture into the Northwest Forest, your efforts will add to our growing database of over 40,000 observations, directly informing our conservation strategies and management practices. At the end of the event, participants will gather to enjoy snacks and see how many observations we collectively made!
Registration: via Eventbrite.


City Nature Fest at Henry Hudson Park
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 10a-12:30p
Host: Friends of Spuyten Duyvil
Location: Henry Hudson Park
Description: Join us at Henry Hudson Park for two activities. You can help keep the park clean & green and pitch in to clean, rake, weed, compost, & mulch! Learn about our native, invasive, and ornamental plants and how we steward them. No experience needed. Accessible for all ages and abilities. Tools, gloves, and training provided.You can also learn & explore with NYC Park Rangers. Use field guides, ID cards, or the Naturalist app to find & identify local plants, birds, & more. Borrow our binoculars and magnifiers to see creatures far and near! Share your nature photos on iNaturalist and be part of this year's City Nature Challenge.
Registration: via Google Forms.


City Nature Challenge Bio Blitz
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 11a-12:30p
Host: Urban Park Rangers
Location: Crotona Park Nature Center, Crotona Park East and Charlotte Street
Description: NYC Parks is participating in the City Nature Challenge and is recruiting you to help. Join the Rangers as we walk the park to observe and collect data for the 2024 City Nature Challenge, a friendly competition taking place April 26-29 between cities around the world to see which is most biodiverse. This program will focus on identifying all living organisms. Participants are encouraged to download the iNaturalist app to collect data.
Registration: None needed. For more info, click here.


Riverdale Park - City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 2p-4p
Host: Torrey Botanical Society
Location: Riverdale Park
Description:Join us for a nature walk through Riverdale Park to get in some final observations on the last day of the observation period. We will meet at the northern entrance to the park and make our way throughout the park, ending in the Raoul Wallenberg Forest near 232nd street.
Registration: via Eventbrite.


The Bee Conservancy CNC Event
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 4:30p-6p
Host: The Bee Conservancy
Location: TBD
Description: Details to come.
Registration: TBD

Back to the top.

Brooklyn

Kids Week: Spring Scavenger Hunt
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Time: 11a-12p
Host: Urban Park Rangers
Location: Herbert Von King Park, meet at the Playground
Description: Even when school's out, our parks are still the city's natural classroom! Bring your kids to parks throughout the city for Kids Week during Spring Break. With programs led by our Urban Park Rangers, kids will get to experience nature in a hands-on and fun way. Search high and low for the natural wonders hiding just under your nose. As an added bonus, data will be collected for the City Nature Challenge.
Registration: None needed. For more info, click here.


City Nature Challenge: Teen BioBlitz
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Time: 4p-6:30p
Host: Billion Oyster Project and Brooklyn Bridge Park
Location: Boathouse
Description: Join other NYC teens to learn about how to effectively document our findings on the iNaturalist app and contribute to the City Nature Challenge. After doing your part as a community scientist, join our teen social at the Visitor Center at the Boathouse at 6:00 PM to share your findings over free pizza! Prizes will also be awarded to the top contributors at the end of the City Nature Challenge weekend. Bring your fully charged, data enabled phone or digital camera. Create a profile ahead of time at inaturalist.org. This event takes place rain or shine.
Registration: The link to register can be found on this page.


City Nature Challenge Bird Blitz
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 10a-11:30a
Host: Urban Park Rangers
Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1
Description: NYC Parks is participating in the City Nature Challenge and is recruiting you to help. Join the Rangers as we walk the park to observe and collect data for the 2024 City Nature Challenge, a friendly competition taking place April 26-29 between cities around the world to see which is most biodiverse. This program will focus on the many birds found at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Participants are encouraged to download the iNaturalist app to collect data.
Registration: None needed. For more info, click here.


City Nature Challenge: Ecology Park Cleanup and Tour
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 10a-1p
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Ecology Park
Description: Join NYC Parks staff in sprucing up Ecology Park followed by a tour of the unique ecosystems. Volunteers will help remove debris and sweep up park paths. Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in iNaturalist's annual City Nature Challenge bioblitz- please bring your smartphone or camera! Volunteers will learn how to identify plants and how to make iNaturalist observations.
Registration: Space is limited and registration is required. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Click here to register. To register a group of 10 or more please email stewardship@parks.nyc.gov.


Earth Day Festival at Fort Greene
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 11a-2p
Host: Fort Greene Park Conservancy
Location: Visitors Center at Fort Greene Park
Description: Join the Fort Greene Park Conservancy at Earth Day Festival! Make earth-themed arts and crafts, participate in a zero waste swap, or help us document the park's biodiversity as a part of this year's City Nature Challenge.
Registration: None required.


Billion Oyster Project Sunset Park Field Station Experience
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 4p-6p
Host: Billion Oyster Project
Location: Bush Terminals Park, Marginal St. &, 43rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Description: Participants will have the opportunity to join a Billion Oyster Project staff member in the field to explore oysters, marine critters, and the ecology of New York Harbor. All field programs are held outdoors and/or near water.
Registration: via FareHarbor.


Calvert Vaux Park - City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 9:30a-11:30a
Host: Torrey Botanical Society
Location: Calvert Vaux Park
Description:Join us for a nature walk at Calvert Vaux Park during the City Nature Challenge! Calvert Vaux Park is a hotspot for migrating birds and interesting plants such as Scerochloa dura, Setaria parviflora, and Glyceria declinata. Uncommon lichens have also been found on the trees planted here.
Registration: via Eventbrite.


City Nature Challenge Family Day
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 10a-1p
Host: Green-Wood Cemetery and Genspace
Location: Enter Green-Wood through the Main Entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street (500 25th Street) and find the event “home base” at Green-Wood’s Historic Chapel
Description:Green-Wood Cemetery and Genspace have planned an adventurous morning of activities and learning for kids of all ages. Expert naturalists will be leading walks to collect data on birds, insects, fungi, and plants at the Cemetery for the City Nature Challenge every half hour between 10:30am and 12:30pm. Microscopy activity stations will offer an opportunity to view nature up close. At 11am, Genspace will lead a 45-minute walk about how the climate crisis affects the trees at Green-Wood.
Registration: not required, but recommended. Click here. More info about the event is also at that link.


City Nature Challenge McGolrick Park Bio-Blitz
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 11a-1p
Host: North Brooklyn Parks Alliance
Location: McGolrick Park Pavillion
Description: Join North Brooklyn Parks Alliance for a pollinator bioblitz workshop for City Nature Challenge. We will be documenting spring pollinators amongst McGolrick's blooming flowers. We will guide volunteers on identifying plants and pollinators using the iNaturalist app in tandem with the global push to document our biodiversity.
Registration: via NBKParks website.


Billion Oyster Project Public Volunteer Event
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 4p-6p
Host: Billion Oyster Project
Location: Valentino Pier
Description: Join Billion Oyster Project's effort to restore New York Harbor by volunteering to collect data on the health of the oysters at one of our Oyster Research Station Hubs. During this event, you’ll assist our team in collecting scientific data, meet some of New York Harbor’s most interesting marine creatures, and enjoy a beautiful day on the waterfront!
Registration: Required at this link.

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Manhattan

City Nature Challenge Kickoff at Macaulay
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Time: 10a-12p
Host: Macaulay Honors College
Location: 35 W. 67th Street
Description:Join us for a 30 minute intro to City Nature Challenge at the Macaulay building and then we'll walk over to Central Park to start making observations together.
Registration: Free, but registration required here.


Spring Fling in the Park CNC Info Table
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Time: 3p-6p
Host: Madison Square Park Conservancy
Location: Madison Square Park
Description: Experience what a perfect spring day is like in Madison Square Park. Take in the flowers as they reach peak bloom and get a sneak peek to what’s to come this year with live music, lawn games, arts and crafts and performances. There will be an info table set up where you can find out more about how to participate in the City Nature Challenge and make some observations in the park.
Registration: None needed. For more info about the event, click here.


Inwood Hill Park Spring Ephemeral & City Nature Challenge Walk
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 10a-1p
Host: Natural Areas Conservancy
Location: Payson Playground, 285-287 Dyckman Street New York, NY 10034
Description: The Natural Areas Conservancy (NAC) will host a guided walk throughout Inwood Hill Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. These observations will contribute to the 2024 City Nature Challenge and NYC's overall ranking during the weekend.All ages are welcome. Attendees under 18 will need to be accompanied by an adult. What should you bring: water bottle, weather appropriate clothing, sturdy, closed toe shoes, smart phone with the app iNaturalist downloaded
Registration: via Eventbrite


EarthFest
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 10a-4p, InsectBlitz guided walk in Central Park at 4p
Host: American Museum of Natural History
Location: 200 Central Park W (inside Milstein Hall of Ocean Life and Gilder Center)
Description: Join us for a full day of family-friendly activities, performances, and lectures showcasing local and international efforts devoted to preserving planet Earth. More info here.
Registration: Tickets are required to get into the Museum and access the fair. IDNYC cardholders can get in for FREE and NY, NJ, CT residents can choose what to pay for admission, but in both cases, you must get those tickets online by visiting this page.


City Nature Challenge: Tree ID Hike
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 1p-2:30p
Host: Urban Park Rangers
Location: Inwood Hill Park, Seaman Ave and Isham St.
Description: NYC Parks is participating in the City Nature Challenge and is recruiting you to help. Join the Rangers as we walk the park to observe and collect data for the City Nature Challenge, a friendly competition taking place April 26-29 between cities around the world to see which is most biodiverse. This program will focus on identifying the various species of trees in Central Park. Participants are encouraged to download the iNaturalist app to collect data.
Registration: None required. For more information, click here.


Salt Marsh Open Hours
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 1p-3p
Host: Randall's Island Park Alliance
Location: Randall's Island Park, Little Hell Gate Marsh
Description: Stop by the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh on Saturday, April 27th between 1 and 3 PM to learn about the importance of these tidal wetlands, see some critters that make the salt marsh their home, and chat with RIPA’s Natural Areas Team. If you have the iNaturalist app on your phone, be sure to have that out as we will be documenting what we find as part of the City Nature Challenge 2024.
Registration: None needed. For more information, click here.


Billion Oyster Project Public ORS Monitoring
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 10a-1p
Host: Billion Oyster Project
Location: Governors Island, Pier 101
Description: Join Billion Oyster Project's effort to restore New York Harbor by volunteering to collect data on the health of the oysters at one of our Oyster Research Station Hubs. During this event, you’ll assist our team in collecting scientific data, meet some of New York Harbor’s most interesting marine creatures, and enjoy a beautiful day on the waterfront!
Registration: Required at this link.


City Nature Challenge Community Bio-Blitz
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 11a-1p
Host: Solar One
Location: 20th St and Ave C entrance to Stuy Cove Park
Description: Let's do a little citizen science and start tracking the wildlife as they return to our newly redesigned park. We'll use inaturalist and a host of identification tools to try and pinpoint which types of birds, bees, fungi, etc we find, discussing the importance of biodiversity in our cities and how we can help foster it. We recommend folks bring sun protection and reusable water bottles- we have water for refills on site. Smartphones with any identification apps always welcome, though we'll have some too.
Registration: via SignUp.


Washington Square Park Subtle Beauties: City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 10:30a-11:30a
Host: Washington Square Park Eco Projects
Location: Washington Arch
Description: Join us on April 29, 10:30-11:30 am for Washington Square Park Subtle Beauties. We will leave from the Arch to seek out plants, such as the native Common Blue Violet, less obvious than the showy cherries. No RSVP required. See you there!
Registration: None needed.

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Queens

City Nature Challenge: Kissena Park Forest Restoration & Nature Walk
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Time: 9a-12p
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Kissena Park
Description: Join NYC Parks staff for a City Nature Challenge Forest Restoration event! Volunteers will help protect the forested areas of Kissena Park. Volunteers will contribute to ongoing restoration work and learn the importance of species diversity to ecosystem health. Then how to identify spring plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature found along the way. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how. The hike will not be strenuous and we will stay on trails. Come prepared with water, a snack, your smartphone and dress in sturdy boots or closed-toed shoes, long sleeves, long pants and clothing that can get dirty.
Registration: via NYC Parks website.


APEC CNC Info Table
Date: Friday, April 26 - Monday April 29, 2024
Time: 9a-4:30p
Host: Alley Pond Environmental Center
Location: Alley Pond Environmental Center: 229-10 Northern Blvd., Douglaston, NY 11362
Description: Visit APEC to learn more about the City Nature Challenge. We'll have an info table in our lobby for any visitors to learn about the event and join in! There won't be someone posted at the table, but APEC staff can answer your questions.
Registration: None


Jamaica Bay Far Rockaway CNC Info Table
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Time: 12p-3p
Host: Jamaica Bay Far Rockaway Parks Conservancy
Location: Rockaway Beach Boardwalk, look for the table between Beach 99th St and Beach 108th St
Description: Find out more about how to participate in City Nature Challenge and make your first CNC observations at the beach!
Registration: None required.


City Nature Challenge: Alley Pond Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Time: 5p-6:30p
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Alley Pond Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Alley Pond Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how!
Registration: via NYC Parks website.


City Nature Challenge: Alley Pond Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 10a-11:30a
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Alley Pond Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on another hike around Alley Pond Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how!
Registration: via NYC Parks website.


City Nature Challenge: Idlewild Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 10a-11:30a
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Idlewild Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Idlewild Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how!
Registration: via NYC Parks website.


City Nature Challenge: Biodiversity Hike
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 1p-2:30p
Host: Urban Park Rangers
Location: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, meet at Mauro Playground
Description: NYC Parks is participating in the City Nature Challenge and is recruiting you to help. Join the Rangers as we walk the park to observe and collect data for the City Nature Challenge, a friendly competition taking place April 26- April 29 between cities around the world to see which is most biodiverse. This program will focus on identifying all visible living species near Willow Lake. Participants are encouraged to download the iNaturalist app to collect data.
Registration: None needed. For more info, click here.


City Nature Challenge: Forest Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 9:30a-11a
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Forest Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Forest Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how!
Registration: via NYC Parks website.


City Nature Challenge: Cunningham Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Time: 1p-2:30p
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Cunningham Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on a hike around Cunningham Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how!
Registration: via NYC Parks website.


All-Ages Spring Walk - City Nature Challenge
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 10a-11:30a or 11:30a-1p (two walks to choose from)
Host: Alley Pond Environmental Center
Location: Alley Pond Park
Description: Join us to help observe and record different species on a guided walk around our trails! We will be using iNaturalist to document biodiversity like birds, plants, fungi, invertebrates, or other nature clues. These observations will contribute to the 2024 City Nature Challenge! Please bring a water bottle, weather appropriate clothes and shoes, and download the free iNaturalist app on a mobile device. All ages are welcome, and participants ages 14 and under will need to be accompanied by an adult.
Registration: Registration required. To register for the 10a-11:30 walk, click here. To register for the 11:30a-1p walk, click here.


City Nature Challenge: Cunningham Park Spring Ephemeral Hike
Date: Monday, April 29, 2024
Time: 5p-6:30p
Host: NYC Parks
Location: Cunningham Park
Description: For the City Nature Challenge, join NYC Parks staff on another hike around Cunningham Park to explore the diversity of spring wildflowers. Volunteers will learn how to identify these plants and learn how to make iNaturalist observations of any other signs of nature you find along the way. Please bring water and a snack as well as your smartphone or camera! We will stay on trails and the hike will not be strenuous, but we will be walking for about an hour and a half, so please dress appropriately. If you do not know how to use iNaturalist, arrive 15 minutes early and we will show you how
Registration: via NYC Parks website.

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Staten Island

Terrific Trees Hike
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Time: 10:30a-12p
Host: Greenbelt Nature Center
Location: Greenbelt Nature Center
Description: Join us for a hike this Arbor Day to learn about tulip, oak, persimmon, and other trees we may find along the way. You can take photos along the way, and upload them for the City Nature Challenge.
Registration: required via Eventbrite.


Ocean Breeze Park - City Nature Challenge 2024
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 10:30a-12:30p
Host: Torrey Botanical Society
Location: Ocean Breeze Park
Description: Join us for a nature walk at Ocean Breeze Park during the City Nature Challenge! Ocean Breeze Park is a large park containing a mosaic of coastal grasslands and freshwater marsh, both of which are uncommon in New York City.
Registration: via Eventbrite.


City Nature Challenge Naturalist Hike
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Time: 1p-2:30p
Host: Urban Park Rangers
Location: Freshkills North Park, meet at the entrance (350 Wild Ave, Staten Island, NY)
Description: NYC Parks is participating in the City Nature Challenge and is recruiting you to help. Join the Rangers as we walk the park to observe and collect data for the City Nature Challenge, a friendly competition taking place April 26-29 between cities around the world to see which is most biodiverse. This program will focus on identifying all visible living species at Brookfield Park. Participants are encouraged to download the iNaturalist app to collect data.
Registration: None needed. For more info, click here.

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The CNC is one month away and we have some great events lined up before it starts so you can be ready for the challenge! Three of these are online, two are in-person, and two of the online ones are hosted by other cities. I have converted all the times to be EDT. Click here to skip down to the three NYC-specific events. The first is a CNC:NYC webinar that will help you get started on iNat and on your way to making great observations and the other two are in-person info tables you can visit to find out more about CNC:NYC.


April 11, 2024 - Adding aquatic macroinvertebrates to iNaturalist (ONLINE)
Time: 1p-2p EDT
Location: Zoom
Host: MacroBlitz
Description: Learn tips to collect, photograph, upload and annotate your aquatic macroinvertebrate observations.
Register via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvce2uqD8iE9dEWf36PBiYO9Aq3ZRO4w69#/registration


April 17, 2024 - City Nature Challenge: NYC - Getting Started on iNaturalist Webinar (ONLINE)
Time: 6p-7p
Location: Zoom
Host: Macaulay Honors College
Description: Join us to learn the ins and outs of using iNaturalist and making good nature observations that others in the iNat community can identify.
Register via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4117066340556/WN_Lyt8EDGhQcWXVhBmWxQPkg#/registration


April 19-29, 2024 - APEC CNC Info Table (IN-PERSON)
Time: 9a-4:30p
Location: Alley Pond Environmental Center: 229-10 Northern Blvd., Douglaston, NY 11362
Host: Alley Pond Environmental Center
Description: Visit APEC to learn more about the City Nature Challenge. We'll have an info table in our lobby for any visitors to learn about the event and join in! There won't be someone posted at the table, but APEC staff can answer your questions.
Registration: None


April 20, 2024 - EQA Earth Day Celebration (IN-PERSON)
Time: 9a-4p, activities all day
Location: Idlewild Park, Queens
Host: Eastern Queens Alliance
Description: From yoga, to park clean-up, to interactive workshops to, hands-on demonstrations and activities, our Earth Day celebration has something for everyone. You'll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, learn about sustainability practices, and have fun in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Registration: Required via Google Forms. Click here to register.


April 26, 2024 - iNaturalist: When You Want to Know "What's that Flower/Bird/Bug (and More!)" (ONLINE)
Time: 2:30p-3:30p EDT
Location: Zoom
Host: University Libraries at the UMass Amherst
Description: An introduction to taking and uploading iNat observations in both the app and the web browser with some more info about how to make IDs.
Registration: https://libcal.library.umass.edu/event/12169911

We're 32 days away from the start of CNC:NYC! While we get ready, let's go over the "rules" for making observations for this project. Our project is set up so that ALL observations made within the five boroughs of NYC during the four days of CNC will be automatically collected together, including any observations iNaturalist classifies as "casual." Casual observations in this project will include those with no photo/sound (evidence of organism) and those that are marked "captive/cultivated." If you do observe an organism that is captive or cultivated, please mark it as such when you're uploading the observation.

We do not want to completely exclude causal observations from the project for a few reasons. For example, street trees are an important part of our urban forest and are likely some of the most visible non-human species in the city, but those were placed where they are by humans. However, we also want to be good stewards of the iNaturalist database, which is a resource for many people and whose focus is on the wild organisms not supported directly by humans. Here are some rules for what is good to observe for CNC in New York City (spoiler alert: they're all the same basic rule):

1. Try to keep it wild. iNaturalist is primarily for your encounters with wild organisms, not ones cared for, held captive by, or planted by humans.
2. Avoid the three P's. To help you remember what is not appropriate for an observation, think of the the P's: do not post observations of people, potted plants, or pets.
3. Absolutely no zoo animals. Not only do these fall under the not wild category, but abundant posts of zoo animals lead to a really inaccurate species list on our project page.

The City Nature Challenge: New York City takes place in Lenapehoking, the ancestral, unceded lands of the Lenape people. Lenapehoking includes parts of what are now known as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. We want to acknowledge and pay respect to Lenape elders, past and present. This land has great significance to the Lenape people who were forced to leave it by European colonists, and we must recognize this fact as we explore the nature of what is now called New York City. The Lenape were the original stewards of this land and its many different habitats. There are only a few spaces left that resemble what this area was like before colonization and we encourage you to be respectful in these spaces and all places in the city. We ask that you be thoughtful when you are out on this land and realize that settler colonialism has deeply changed this landscape from what it once was and also realize that the Lenape people and many other Indigenous peoples remain a vibrant part of this city. We hope that your nature observations in Lenapehoking inspire you to take action and seek out more information about the Lenape people and culture. Here are some places to start:

The Lenape Center website features a list of works highlighting Lenape culture.

"Home in Lenapehoking" - An interview of Joe Baker and Hadrien Coumans, co-founders of The Lenape Center, in Urban Omnibus.

"In New York City, centuries worth of Indigenous history is being uncovered through art, stories and community." - From CBC Radio's Unreserved with Rosanna Deerchild episode ,"Unmapped: New York," which aired on January 26, 2024. The full episode is linked in the article.