From September 25th (Friday) to September 28th (Monday), we’ll be documenting the plants, animals, and fungi in East and West Fairmount Park using an app called iNaturalist.

Why participate?

There is nature all around us, even in Philly! Knowing what species are in our city and where they are helps us study and protect them, but the only way to do that is by all of us – scientists, land managers, and the community – working together to find and document nature in Philly. By participating, not only do you learn more about your local nature, but you can also make your city a better place – for you and other species!

How?

For both budding and veteran citizen scientists, participating is easy:

1. Download the iNaturalist app onto your smartphone.
2. Find any wild thing. It can be any wild plant, animal, fungi, or any other evidence of life ( fur, tracks, shells, scat, etc.) found in Philly – including your own backyard!
3. Take pictures or video of what you find using the iNaturalist app.
4. Learn more as your observations get identified.*

*And please note – all you have to do is snap a photo – a professional will help you identify your observation through the app!

If you’re joining us in Fairmount Park, head to this page and start snapping photos of any plants, animals or fungi you see.

For more information, please visit Philly’s official City Nature Challenge website. And be sure to follow along on social media:

#CityNatureChallenge
Instagram: @CityNaturePhilly
Twitter: @PhillyCNC
Facebook: @PhillyCNC