April 30 to May 3

The City Nature Challenge started in 2016 as a friendly competition between naturalists in Los Angeles and San Francisco to see which city could collect the most wild species observations in a short period of time. More than 1000 people participated, collecting over 20,000 observations. The idea grew, and in 2020, 244 cities across the globe participated–collecting 815,258 observations. This year, our goal is for people around the world to work together to top 2020!

You can participate at your own pace with a group of friends or family, or solo! 

We urge all participants to carefully follow state and local Covid safety guidelines. 

Just follow these simple steps:

1. Search and observe

Search your favorite outdoor places for plants, animals, or any other evidence of life, anywhere from your backyard, to a local park or natural area, as long as it is in the greater Portland and Vancouver area.

What are the ​wild plants that are growing in your yard or neighborhood?

Can you find the insects and other creatures that use the cultivated plants in your area as habitat or food?

2. Snap photos

Your phone is great for making observations anywhere! 

3. Share

Share your observations on iNaturalist—a web-based social network for sharing scientifically valuable biodiversity information across the world!