Calling all residents
- jjvanm
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
-- Get involved in the 2025 City Nature Challenge, April 25 - 28
Published in the McAllen Monitor, April 19, 2025
Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist
Some of my more interesting and favorite photographs were lucky shots while I was actively seeking activity during a bioblitz, like the upcoming annual City Nature Challenge, happening April 25 to 28.
City Nature Challenge is the primo citizen science project of spring that encourages citizen participation to identify nature. It is a worldwide friendly competition between cities. The goals are to increase citizen awareness of local nature and wildlife, add species observations to a scientific database and engage the most individuals in discovering what nature is around them.
Residents, Winter Texans, students and visitors in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties will participate in this native wildlife habitat documentation event as a single entity: the Lower Rio Grande Valley City Nature Challenge.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD Nature Trackers, the Nature Conservancy, Rio Grande Valley World Birding Centers, Audubon Society and Texas Master Naturalists and city parks and nature centers are among local groups supporting the challenge and encouraging local participation.
Last year, 10,143 local observations were made of 2,071 species by 242 observers, furthering the objective of the challenge to collect biodiversity data that will be available to scientists, wildlife managers, conservationists, naturalists and citizens alike.
Expertise in identifying species is not required. Participants photograph plants and critters and upload the information using prompts with the iNaturalist Smartphone app or computer link which identifies the uploaded subject.
Photos below, from left: Hibiscus Scentless Plant Bug on Jann Miller Mauve Indian Mallow, Hooded Oriole and Painted Schinia Moth and Leaf Chafer Beetle. (Photos by Anita Westervelt)
Observations to photograph and upload include anything that shows evidence of life, including skeletons, bones, feathers, fur, scat, animal tracks, snake skins, carcasses, roadkill as well as living plants, trees, shrubs, animals, insects and birds. Fungi, mold, sea, beach and dune life, sea beans, shells, barnacles, seaweed and driftwood are valid observations. And, of course, insects, spiders, flies, bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, snakes and any other live critters managed to be captured in a photo.
Photos below, from left: Xylocopa griswoldi, a large Carpenter Bee on a Passion flower, Sago Palm and Rio Grande Ground Squirrel. (Photos by Anita Westervelt)
Many participants begin by documenting what they find in their own yard and neighborhood and then by visiting a nature park, the beach and other public areas – or private lands, with owner permission.
The Lower Rio Grande Valley is a widespread and diverse territory from the far reaches of upper northwest Starr County to Boca Chica Beach at the furthest southeast corner of the four-counties.
The easiest way to enter the challenge is to download the free iNaturalist app onto an Android or iPhone and create an account. Or create an account on a home computer at www.iNaturalist.org and be able to edit photographs at the computer prior to submitting to iNaturalist.
The City Nature Challenge was initiated in 2016 by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences as friendly competition between California cities and later including the National Geographic Society. In 2023, iNaturalist became an independent nonprofit organization. Internationally, iNaturalist partners with organizations through the iNaturalist Network.
It is a scientific data repository that helps scientists find and use data. As a citizen scientist project, every observation can contribute to biodiversity science.
For more information visit https://www.inaturalist.org
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