April 25 – 28
About the City Nature Challenge
Started in 2016 as a competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the City Nature Challenge (CNC) has grown into an international event, motivating people around the world to find and document wildlife in their own cities. Run by the Community Science teams at the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM), the CNC is an annual four-day global bioblitz at the end of April, where cities are in a collaboration-meets-friendly-competition to see what can be accomplished when we all work toward a common goal.
About iNaturalist
To have your observations count toward the total for your area, you need to observe and record the life you see with iNaturalist. iNaturalist is a smartphone app and Web site that can help you ID the plants and animals that you see. Moreover, each of your observations are included in the growing iNaturalist database (over 200 million observations and growing)
Events and Activities
Many environmental and nature organizations are hosting bioblitzes or iNaturalist walks during the City Nature Challenge from April 25 – April 28. Below is a partial list of events that we are aware of.
Friday, April 25
| Event/Activity | Time | Location | Registration | Contact | |
| Flock Party Friday | 8:00 – 10:00 am | Roy Guerrero Park/Circle Acres | Travis Audubon | David Cook | davidjcook@gmail.com |
| Morning Bioblitz at Critchfield Preserve in Williamson County | 9:00 am – noon | Critchfield Preserve | More Info | Cindy Chrisler | chrisler@csusb.edu |
| Blunn Creek Bioblitz | 2:00 – 4:00 pm | Blunn Creek Preserve 1200 St. Edwards Drive, Austin, TX | None Required | ||
| Afternoon Bioblitz at Critchfield Preserve in Williamson County | 1:00 – 5:00 pm | Critchfield Preserve | More Info | Cindy Chrisler | chrisler@csusb.edu |
| Bull Creek District Park Bioblitz | 6:00 – 8:00 pm | Bull Creek District Park 6701 Lakewood Drive, Austin, TX | Bull Creek Foundation GivePulse | Rachel McGill | rpmcgill@gmail.com |
| Mothing at Critchfield Preserve | 7:00 – 10:00 pm | Critchfield Preserve | More Info | Cindy Chrisler | chrisler@csusb.edu |
Saturday, April 26
| Event/Activity | Time | Location | Registration | Contact | |
| Girl Scouts – Austin Bioblitz Hike | 10:00 – 12:00 | Bull Creek Bluff Neighborhood Park 6309 Spicewood Springs, Austin, Texas | Girl Scouts Only Registration and More Info | ||
| Girls Scouts – Georgetown Bioblitz Hike | 10:00 – 12:00 | Berry Springs, Georgetown | Girl Scouts Only Registration and More Info | ||
| Girls Scouts – Wimberley Bioblitz Hike | 10:00 – 12:00 | Jacob’s Well Natural Area, Wimberley | Girl Scouts Only Registration and More Info | ||
| Wells Branch Wild iNaturalist Walks | 12:30 pm 1:30 pm 2:30 pm | Wells Branch 2106 Klattenhoff Drive, Austin, TX | None Required | David Cook | davidjcook@gmail.com |
| Champion Park Afternoon Bioblitz | 2:00 – 4:00 pm | Champion Park 3830 Brushy Creek Rd. Cedar Park, TX 78613 | None Required | Sara Schubert | lietgardis@gmail.com |
| Leaf Cutter Ant Walk @ Circle Acres Preserve | 4:00 pm | Circle Acres Preserve Parking Lot on Grove Blvd | None Required | ||
| Mushroom DNA Walk @ Circle Acres Preserve | 6:30 pm | Circle Acres Preserve Parking Lot on Grove Blvd | None Required | ||
| Mothing at River Ranch Park | 7:00 – 11:00 pm | River Ranch Park 2100 County Road 279 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 | More Info Park entrance fees apply | Cindy Chrisler | chrisler@csusb.edu |
| Mothing @ Circle Acres Preserve | 8:00 PM | Circle Acres Preserve Parking Lot on Grove Blvd | None Required | ||
| UV Night Walk @ Circle Acres Preserve | 8:00 pm | Circle Acres Preserve Parking Lot on Grove Blvd | None Required | ||
| Mothing at Blue Hole | 8:00 pm | Blue Hole Swim Lawn Blue Hole Regional Park | None Required | Carolyn Langlinais | carolyn@haysmn.org |
Sunday, April 27
| Event/Activity | Time | Location | Registration | Contact | |
| Cypress Creek Park Bioblitz | 8:00 – 10:00 am | Cypress Creek Park 13601 Bullick Hollow Rd, Austin, TX 78726 | None Required | Sara Schubert | lietgardis@gmail.com |
| Hidden Springs Preserve Morning Bioblitz | 9:00 am – noon | Hidden Springs Florence, TX | More Info | Cindy Chrisler | chrisler@csusb.edu |
| Red Bluff Preserve Bioblitz | 9:00 – 11:00 am | Red Bluff Preserve 5607 Harold Ct., Austin, Texas | CAMN GivePulse | John Lacy | lacy@astro.as.utexas.edu |
| Bull Creek Bluff Morning Bioblitz | 9:00 – 11:00 am | Bull Creek Bluff Neighborhood Park 6309 Spicewood Springs, Austin, Texas | Bull Creek Foundation GivePulse | davidjcook@gmail.com | davidjcook@gmail.com |
| Hidden Springs Preserve Afternoon Bioblitz | 1:00 – 5:00 pm | Hidden Springs Florence, TX | More Info | Cindy Chrisler | chrisler@csusb.edu |
| Mothing at Hidden Springs | 7:00 – 10:00 pm | Hidden Springs Florence, TX | More Info | Cindy Chrisler | chrisler@csusb.edu |
Monday, April 28
| Event/Activity | Time | Location | Registration | Contact | |
| Photo Hike with a Naturalist | 9:00 – 11:00 am | Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve 805 N. Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX | Wild Basin Site | David Cook | davidjcook@bwilson |
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Participating Organizations
- Capital Area Master Naturalist Chapter
- Goodwater Master Naturalist Chapter
- Balcones Canyonlands Master Naturalist Chapter
- Hays County Master Naturalist Chapter
- Wells Branch Wild
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Wild Basin Creative Research Center
- Travis Audubon
- Ecology Action/Circle Acres
- Girl Scouts of Central Texas
- Bull Creek Foundation