The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and partners invite Tallahassee and Leon County residents to participate in the upcoming City Nature Challenge, which will take place from Friday, April 26 through Monday, April 29.
Approximately 170 communities around the world will compete in this event to see which city can record the largest number of plant and animal species.
To join this fun opportunity to observe nature, members of the public can look for wildlife and plants, photograph them and share their observations via iNaturalist.org or the iNaturalist app during the designated time period.
“We are very excited to host the City Nature Challenge in Tallahassee and Leon County,” said Thomas Eason, Assistant Executive Director of the FWC. “We hope that this event will inspire members of the public to spend more time enjoying our area’s wonderful natural spaces year-round.”
Beginning April 24, the FWC and partners also will be hosting fun activities in various locations throughout Leon County, including many activities at WFSU Public Media’s EcoCitizen Day event, screenings of “Backyard Wilderness” at Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee, outdoor adventures led by FWC biologists, birding with Apalachee Audubon Society and urban wildlife trivia at Proof Brewing Company.
“Tallahassee is proud to be a community rooted in its natural environment. The city has taken a variety of steps recently to further cement our commitment to sustainability, such as passing the Clean Energy Resolution and Urban Forest Master Plan,” Mayor John Dailey said. “With options for both active and passive recreation at our more than 80 parks, the city strives to make the natural world inclusive and accessible for every resident.”
“Leon County is proud to support the 2019 City Nature Challenge and we thank the many community partners from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to WFSU Public Media for their hard work on the project,” said Leon County Commission Vice Chairman Bryan Desloge. “With more than 2,800 acres of county parks, boat landings, campgrounds and greenways, I hope we turn these few days of citizen-driven science into a lifelong commitment of exploring all of the many outdoor recreational opportunities we have to offer in Leon County.”
The Tallahassee/Leon County City Nature Challenge and related events are free and open to all ages. Get instructions on how to participate and view the full schedule of events at MyFWC.com/CNC.
Don’t forget to download an event passport qualifying everyone engaged in the Tallahassee/Leon County City Nature Challenge for a range of discounts and prizes from local sponsors.
FWC hopes other cities in Florida will step up to the challenge next year. Results of this international competition will be announced on Monday, May 6. The population of each community is considered when the results are tallied, so every community has a chance to win.
