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City Nature Challenge Events

Get outside and photograph nature! Go out on your own or with others. You can even join our partners at the events listed below. Be sure to check back in as we will continue to add new events.

Can’t get outside? No problem. Take part from the comfort of a desktop computer and help identify the plants and animals people observe with their cameras. Find more information on how to identify observations.

We are encouraging everyone to follow recommended protocols related to staying healthy, keeping safe, and staying respectful of wildlife and wild spaces.

Leading up to the challenge

Thursday, April 10

Thursday, April 17

Thursday, April 24

During the challenge

Friday, April 25

  • South Bay BioBlitz and Restoration at Emory Cove
  • City Nature Challenge with Bat Outing
    • 6 - 8:30 PM, Friday, April 25
    • Hosted by Preserve Calavera and UC California Naturalists
    • Joining this event will be Cindy Meyers, experience bat outreach volunteer with the San Diego Humane Society, and Janell Cannon, author and illustrator of Stellaluna, the New York Times bestseller children's book about bats,

Saturday, April 26

Sunday, April 27

Monday, April 28

  • Self-guided observations–San Diego County
    • Head outside and use the iNaturalist app to make observations of all the wild plants and animals you encounter in San Diego County. New to the app? Check out our tutorial here.

Be sure to check this page for updates. We will add events as they are scheduled.

Want to host an event? Contact our community science team.

Border BioBlitz 2025

This year, City Nature Challenge overlaps with the 2025 Border BioBlitz/BioBlitz de la Frontera. The Border BioBlitz is a community science effort to record as many species as possible along the U.S.-Mexico border and is made possible thanks to partnerships with Botanical Community Development Initiatives, Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers, and community members like you!

To join the discovery, all you need is a smartphone with the iNaturalist app (free for Android and iOS) and to join the project. You can make observations on your own, or join a community Border BioBlitz event! By joining the project during the City Nature Challenge, you can ensure that your observations count for both!

Want to stay involved past this event? Learn more about The Nat’s ongoing community science projects.