NMDCA News: 

Starting April 25, three New Mexico communities have a chance to participate in the City Nature Challenge by photographing wildlife in their neighborhoods. The Sandia Mountain Natural History Center (SMNHC), an environmental education center operated collaboratively by Albuquerque Public Schools and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS), is encouraging New Mexicans to show the world how much biodiversity their state has to offer.

City Nature Challenge, which runs from Friday, April 25-Monday, April 28, is a worldwide collaborative effort to document nature observations in and around cities, run by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County. This year, three New Mexico communities – Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Silver City – are participating in the challenge.  

To take part, visit iNaturalist.org or download the iNaturalist phone application and make an account. Snap photos of plants, animals, fungi, or any other evidence of life you come across, and upload them!  Visit the iNaturalist ABQ Project, Santa Fe Area Project, or Silver City Area Project to follow everyone’s observations and see all the free public events happening over the four challenge days in the project journals.

The Challenge is a chance to learn more about the urban wildlife in your own backyard, feel connected to other nature lovers in your local and global community, help New Mexico cities compete against hundreds around the world, and contribute valuable scientific data.