Central Illinois 2026 City Nature Challenge

The Grand Prairie Master Naturalists would like to invite you and your network to join the City Nature Challenge 2026. From Friday, April 24 to Monday, April 27, 2026, cities around the world will be using the iNaturalist app to find and photograph as many wild plants, animals, and fungi as possible. Our observations will help scientists and land managers better understand the species that thrive in our region.

No expertise is needed! Anyone aged 13+ can participate, and it’s completely free and easy.

How to Participate:

• Download the App: Get the free iNaturalist app on your smartphone (available on the App Store or Google Play) and create an account. Training for using the app will be offered; please look out for training announcements in the future.
• Find Wildlife: Explore your local park, backyard, neighborhood, or natural area and take pictures of any wild plants, fungi, or animals you find from April 24-27. (If it’s a garden plant or pet, please mark it as “captive/cultivated” in the app; these will not count towards the City Nature Challenge).
• Share! Upload your observations to the iNaturalist app during the challenge period (April 24 – April 27). Observations within Central Illinois’ participating counties’ boundaries will automatically count towards our area’s total.
• Help Identify: As the data is collected and submitted, you can help identify the species observed by other participants to build a better understanding of local biodiversity

Why Participate?

• Learn: Discover the amazing organisms you share your city with.
• Contribute to Science: Your observations provide valuable data for conservation efforts and scientific research.
• Compete: Help Central Illinois rise on the global leaderboards for the most observations, species, and participants!

For more information and local events, email us at [email protected] or the visit official website at citynaturechallenge.org.