Join the 2022 City Nature Challenge!

The City Nature Challenge is an annual global collaborative effort to find and document wildlife observations in and around urban areas. Join nature enthusiasts worldwide in discovering the biodiversity in your area. The 2022 City Nature Challenge takes place from April 29 to May 2, 2022.

The R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography along with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies (GES), will for the third year in a row, host the ABQ City Nature Challenge at UNM.

Two key departments at the University of New Mexico (UNM) will be going head to head in a community science competition this month. The Department of Geography & Environmental Studies (GES) and the Department of Biology (BIO) are forming teams to participate in the 2022 City Nature Challenge, and you can join to be a part of this unique community science initiative!

UNM students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to join one of the two teams, even if they come from a totally different department.

Biology Professor David Hanson, who led the Biology team last year, said “Community science is a win for everyone. The more data we collect about our urban environments, the better we can understand environmental change.” Center Director, Dr. Maria Lane added, “GES is a small department, so we need everyone at UNM to join our team and help us beat Biology!”

How do I Join a Team?

All UNM students are invited to join the challenge on one of the two teams. Follow these easy steps to get set up:

Download the iNaturalist app to your phone.
Join a team at UNM to make sure your observations are counted:

From April 29 to May 2, make as many observations as possible in Bernalillo, Sandoval, or Valencia Counties. You don’t even have to know what you’re observing. Just take a photo and then the naturalists and scientists using iNaturalist will figure out what it is.

On Friday, April 29, all are invited to stop by Bandelier East, where students in the GEOG2115 class (“Information Design in Science and Society,” taught by Dr. Yolanda Lin) will have an informational table set up outside to encourage UNM students to participate.

What if I’ve Never Observed Wildlife Before?

You don’t have to be an expert to contribute! Simply take photos of any plants or animals you see, even in your own backyard, and upload them to iNaturalist. The app is easy to use, and there are numerous training sessions available:

Sign up for live ABQ City Nature Challenge iNaturalist tutorial (via Zoom)
Watch this video: Finding Observations for iNaturalist in Your Neighborhood (8 minutes)
Watch recorded iNaturalist tutorial (YouTube, 1h20min)

What happens after the City Nature Challenge?

After the observation period ends, expert naturalists and scientists will use iNaturalist to review all the photographs and ID all the species. Each team has until May 8 to complete the identification process before results are finalized and a winner is declared for each category. The identification process will take place simultaneously all across Albuquerque and around the world. Finalized datasets can be used later for mapping and analysis of biodiversity in our communities. The Center for Community Geography is currently working with the Albuquerque Backyard Refuge Program to use CNC data for mapping and planning/prioritizing community habitat restoration, so we hope to see as much participation as possible right here in New Mexico.