2021 Atlanta City Nature Challenge 2021, April 30–May 3

For the third year in a row, Frazer Center is partnering with our neighbor Fernbank to help put Atlanta on the geo-map. And we can’t do it without YOU.

The City Nature Challenge began in 2013 as a friendly competition between San Francisco and Los Angeles to celebrate the first ever Citizen Scientist Day. Part of the mission of the contest was to connect city residents to their local nature, and to collect urban biodiversity data and make it available for science, management, and conservation purposes.

In 2019, thanks to Fernbank leading the charge, Atlanta was one of 159 cities joining the fun.

Last year, 244 cities around the world were involved, and the percentage of individuals participating in Atlanta increased by 72 percent.

How can you help Atlanta compete on a worldwide stage? It’s easy!

During the dates of the City Nature Challenge, April 30 through May 3:

• Observe wildlife—plants, animals, and fungi;
• Photograph it using a smartphone;
• Upload photos to the iNaturalist app.

And that’s it! You don’t have to know what it is you are observing. The iNaturalist app helps identify species. Observations can be made anywhere in the city, even in your own front yard. We think Frazer Forest makes a great place to participate, and your observations will help us learn more about the biodiversity within our neighborhood old-growth forest.

The 2021 Atlanta City Nature Challenge, led locally by Fernbank, makes for a great family or school project that is also pandemic-friendly. Put on your citizen scientist cap, show your Atlanta pride, get the iNaturalist app, and find some nature!