Join nature lovers across the capital region in celebrating local species and ecosystems by participating in the 2023 City Nature Challenge. Over a four day period, April 28 through May 1, photograph and document local biodiversity in the capital region using the free iNaturalist website or app, and help to build a record of the nature that surrounds us. More than 400 cities around the world will be participating in the City Nature Challenge this year, as a global celebration of biodiversity in and around urban areas.

Participating in City Nature Challenge in the capital region is easy:

1. Create an account using the free iNaturalist app (AppStore or Google Play) or website.
2. Head online to join the Greater Victoria City Nature Challenge project for a chance to win prizes and receive project updates.
3. Join the hunt! Search for local nature in your backyard, neighbourhood, or favourite park or beach between April 28 and May 1. Observations of wild native plants, animals, fungi, insects, tracks, or even scat are all welcome.
4. Use a digital camera or smart phone to capture your sightings, and upload to iNaturalist.
5. Identify your findings as best you can and have people from the iNaturalist community help confirm your identifications.

Help us inventory the local landscape and track biodiversity. The City Nature Challenge is a way for citizens to help collect data on the wild species living in and around our cities, which helps local governments and scientists to better protect local biodiversity. You can make a difference by taking photos of the plants and wildlife in your backyard, local park and city, and reporting them using iNaturalist.