Shasta County City Nature Challenge

From April 24 through April 27, 2026, find and photograph plants, animals, fungi, and any other wildlife anywhere in Shasta county using the iNaturalist app to contribute to the City Nature Challenge.

The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is an annual four-day international bioblitz that invites people around the world to document wildlife in their neighborhoods using biodiversity recording platforms such as iNaturalist. Participants explore backyards, cities, parks, trails, and public lands to record as many species as possible, contributing valuable data that helps scientists and communities better understand and protect nature globally. What began in 2016 as a friendly competition between the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences has since grown into a collaborative international event where cities both compete and work together to find species, collect observations, and strengthen community connections to nature.

Point Blue Conservation Science, Shasta Environmental Alliance, and Western Shasta RCD are co-organizing Shasta County’s participation in the City Nature Challenge for 2026. Nature observations are made and submitted by using the user-friendly and free app and platform, iNaturalist. Any iNaturalist observations that are made within Shasta County during the CNC timeframe will automatically be added to Shasta County’s CNC iNaturalist project and contribute to our overall species observations and number of participants.

You can participate in one of the many activities scheduled during the City Nature Challenge or go out on your own to document nature in your backyard, on your favorite trail, or in a local park. Simply use the iNaturalist app during April 24-27 within Shasta County and your observations will automatically contribute to our county’s numbers!

You don’t need to be an experienced naturalist to participate, just curious about the nature around you! Whether you’re spotting a bird on your morning walk, identifying wildflowers in your neighborhood, or simply taking the time to observe what’s living right outside your door, every observation counts. Join us in celebrating the incredible biodiversity of Shasta County and be part of a global community working together to better understand and protect our natural world.

Download iNaturalist, get outside, and start exploring—we can’t wait to see what you discover!