Think globally. Act locally. And do it to help Canada take on the world! That’s the mission for Canadian participants in the 2025 City Nature Challenge, a friendly international competition focused on tracking biodiversity around the world. Over 700 cities in 64 countries have registered to participate, each with a goal of making the most observations of wild plants and animals within their city during the challenge. This year CNC is celebrating 10 years, with millions of nature observations made so far. All observations become part of an active database of biodiversity used by scientists and organizations around the world. It’s like Pokémon Go but with a real impact on science and nature!
Participation is super easy and fun using the iNaturalist app. Just follow these three simple steps to get started:
1) Go to iNaturalist.ca or use the iNaturalist app to open up a free account. Once you’re registered, find the 2025 City Nature Challenge Canada project.
2) Check to see if your city is registered for the 2025 City Nature Challenge Canada initiative. If so, you’re all set for when the CNC starts – you can also check out the map below the cities list to see the boundaries of where observations will count.
3) If your city is not on the list, look for the City Nature Challenge Canada 2025 non-registered cities project, click through to the project page and click “Join” (in the upper right corner).
Having taken the steps above, all you have to do now is make observations of as many different wild species as you can during the event! Together, we can all contribute to Canada’s total number of observations.
Check in on how your city or your personal tally is doing by checking out the real-time results in the City Nature Challenge Canada project.
More information here: https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/inaturalist/cnc/
Canada’s wildlife is facing unprecedented threats. From climate change to habitat loss, pollution, and homes being destroyed by the effects of climate change, brought on by human activity, the once-vibrant ecosystems that span our nation are now in rapid decline. Species that once thrived in abundance are now on the brink of extinction. From coast to coast, Canadian wildlife is disappearing—pushed to the edge by circumstances they cannot control.
Canadian Wildlife Federation
