Does your city have what it takes to compete against the rest of the world in a bioblitz-style competition? The City Nature Challenge is looking for people to find and document wildlife and plants in their city, to see who can make the most nature observations, find the most species and engage with the most people.
This is the first time South Africa is participating in the four-day global challenge, but only Cape Town will be involved. Over 150 cities from around the world are taking part, both tourists and locals are encouraged to engage with their surrounding from April 26 to 28.
Here are the top 10 countries from 2018. San Francisco beat out Dallas with 42, 834 discoveries versus 35, 062.
The City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee member of Spatial Planning and Environment, Marian Nieuwoudt, is excited at the prospect of what the competition might bring.
“We are extremely proud to participate in this globally-important biodiversity competition and look forward to this exciting challenge. We are inviting all Capetonians to ‘bioblitz’ our nature reserves and natural open areas to record everything alive over those four days,” she said.
Locally, activities will be held in conservation areas and reserves around Cape Town.
Pictures that received the most engagement in the 2018 challenge.
Interested parties are expected to record and map as many species of flora and fauna as possible. Tours and ‘bioblitzes’ will be headed by local experts and managers of the reserves.
Participants can record any animal, plant, fungi, slime, mould, or evidence of life such as scat, feathers, tracks and shells they find in Cape Town.
Register for the challenge on iNaturalist and upload all their findings, the app can be downloaded here.
Picture: Pixabay
