City Nature Challenge coming to North Park

That itsy, bitsy spider in the front yard can be part of a worldwide effort to collect all things natural as part of the 2024 City Nature Challenge, happening April 26 and 27 globally and in the Pittsburgh region.

Participants are to digitally capture observations in nature and upload them onto the free iNaturalist app, which collects it into a large database. North Park is participating by holding a Latodami City Challenge that same weekend.

“We are looking for any wildlife observations, bugs, plants, birds, fungi bacteria, anything you see that is in the wild,” said Leah Fulton, assistant park naturalist at the Latodami Nature Center in North Park. “It’s a look at biodiversity in areas.”

Audio recordings of nature also can be submitted, she said.

Fulton, a 2017 North Allegheny High School graduate, said the observations can be made from the park, city or even someone’s front yard.

An Intro to the iNaturalist virtual program will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. April 25. Then join Fulton and other participants from 6 to 8 p.m. both April 26 and April 29 at the Latodami Nature Center, 575 Brown Road, Pine.

“This will involve two-hour-long hikes where we will go around the nature center while using the iNaturalist app,” she said.

Registration is necessary at www.alleghenycounty.us.

The City Nature Challenge’s Pittsburgh region includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Participants must have a smartphone that has the iNaturalist app downloaded. Adults must register and attend with children 16 or younger.

The information collected and sent to the app can be used by anyone for a number of environmentally related initiatives.

“This is all being uploaded to the iNaturalist global database for anyone in public, researchers, park staff, students, anyone interested in using data,” said Fulton, a McCandless resident. “In Pittsburgh last year, over 300 participants made over 6,000 observations on the app of over 1,000 species.”

Most importantly it is about “getting people outside, working with nature,” she said.

The City Nature Challenge began in 2016 as a competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and since has spread globally, collecting data from local nature while celebrating biodiversity and community science.

Knowing what and where species are in a location helps scientists study and protect them, according to www.citynaturechallenge.org . Results will be announced on the website May 6.

For more information on the events at the Latodami Center, call 724-935-2170 or visit the Allegheny County website.