Which city on Earth has the most nature and the most engaged residents? The City Nature Challenge aims to find out! The City Nature Challenge is an international citizen science effort to discover and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. It encourages people to discover and document the biodiversity of our urban spaces. What began in 2016 as a friendly challenge between Los Angeles and San Francisco has now grown to an international event!

This year, City Nature Challenge will take place from Friday, April 29-Monday, May 2. Both the Madison and Milwaukee metro areas will be participating for the first time ever! Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Participate in a hike or an event. You can join The Nature Conservancy and our partners for several great events around both Madison and Milwaukee! Check The Nature Conservancy website in early April to find a variety of hikes, festivals, and other opportunities to get engaged and inspired!

2. Join from your own backyard or favorite natural area. It’s easy to get involved on your own using the iNaturalist app (free on the app store). Just take a picture of a plant or animal and upload it to the app or website. Any observations made in the Madison or Milwaukee challenge areas will count during the four day challenge. Explore your neighborhood parks—or even your own backyard. There’s nature all around you!