City Nature Challenge 2020
April 24 - 27, 2020
Join Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium as we unite forces across Omaha to identify and count plants and animals that live among us. This is our chance to get to know the plants, animals and fungi that are in our backyards, our parks, and our neighborhoods to better understand how our lives affect the ecology around us.
For the past three years, Omahans have cataloged the wildlife in our city in April during the event called City Nature Challenge. The City Nature Challenge is an annual, global, community science competition to document urban biodiversity. The challenge is a BioBlitz that engages residents and visitors to find and document plants, animals, and other organisms living in urban areas (Wikipedia). Last year over 160 cities from all over the world counted species over the four-day event with Cape Town, South Africa taking home top honors for most biodiversity.
This year we are doing things a little different. COVID-19 has provided us with a new CHALLENGE - staying safe and healthy! So, we've banded together with other cities across the world and this year we are no longer competing but teaming up to "embrace the healing power of nature and encourage the collaborative aspect of the CNC. This will allow people to safely document biodiversity in whatever way they can, even from the safety of their own homes if necessary." We encourage all of you to follow Nebraska public health guidelines provided by our local government health officials, as they are changing in real-time. Individual safety and public health are our utmost priority.
You can still make a difference by signing up on iNaturalist and helping to document Omaha Metro diversity on April 24, 25, 26 and 27. Sign up today and we will be sending out regular journal posts to remind you of our exciting event as well as activities and what our Special Partners, throughout the Metro, are doing to help spread this fun and exciting experience.
iNaturalist Sign-Up