City Nature Challenge

A blue tit perched at the entrance to a log

Amy Lewis

City Nature Challenge

Make a record for local wildlife

City Nature Challenge is back! This year we want even more people to connect with nature and collect wildlife records - are you in?

The 2022 City Nature Challenge takes place in two parts

29 April - 2 May: Taking pictures of wild animals and plants.
3 May - 8 May: Identifying what was found.

Learn more about City Nature Challenge

Wildlife records are a really important resource to conservation organisations and charities like our own. They help us build up a better picture of how a particular area or species is faring at a local level and how they might be responding to things like habitat loss or climate change.

How do I take part?

City Nature Challenge is all about embracing the healing power of nature while making a difference for wildlife. It's really easy to take part - all you need is your phone!

To take part, download the free iNaturalist app onto your smartphone or tablet and start uploading pictures of wildlife. Your records will then be verified by a community of naturalists and you can also help people identify what they find.

How to use iNaturalist

Can I collect records another way?

There is more than one way to submit wildlife records during the City Nature Challenge.

Submit using the iNaturalist website

If you'd prefer not to use the iNaturalist app, you can submit records during the challenge using the iNaturalist website. Simply sign in and click the 'Upload' button to get started.

When you make your record, you can add it to your local City Nature Challenge project:

Submit directly to your local record centre

Each record centre will have a slightly different way of collecting records, but their websites will give you all the information you need to submit a sighting and soon enough you'll be a wildlife recording pro.

Bird watching at home

Nick Upton/2020VISION

Greater Manchester Local Records Centre

Collect wildlife records by using Swift or uploading data to their spreadsheet. Visit their website or email info@gmwildlife.org.uk for more information.

GMLRC website

Wildlife recording inaturalist

Charlotte Varela

The Lancashire Environment Record Network

Collect wildlife records with iRecord or iNaturalist by joining the 'LERN Lancashire Records' project. Visit their website to find out more.

LERN website

Sahar exploring Fletcher Moss in Manchester

Merseyside BioBank

Collect wildlife records using their online form or spreadsheet. Visit their website for more information.

Merseyside BioBank website

How did we do in 2021?

Collectively in the North West we had...

13,764 Observations
2,353 Species
319 Recorders
CNC organisers