We are happy to announce some highlights from this year's CNC results!
First, on behalf of the SDSU Biodiversity Museum and the San Diego Natural History Museum, we are deeply honored and grateful to be part of our county's spectacular contributions to citizen science and both local and global biodiversity research and conservation efforts!
Each of you has made this year's event an impressive success! We are humbled by your enthusiastic participation, expertise, and generous sharing of your time. Please let us know what we got right, and especially how you think we can serve you and make this a better event experience for all next year.
And now, on to the results:
We'll be issuing a press release and more details to our event hosts, collaborators, supporters, and the media and social media tomorrow, but here's a quick summary for you:
This year’s 2.4 million observations included sightings of more than 3,940 rare, endangered, or threatened species. The Challenge engaged more than 83,000 observers around the world, including 28,633 observations in San Diego County alone.
San Diego County by the Numbers
● Observations: 28,633
● Species: 2,908 (including 145 rare/endangered/threatened species: see them here:https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=829&project_id=city-nature-challenge-2024-eurasia-africa-oceania,city-nature-challenge-2024-north-and-south-america,city-nature-challenge-2024-global-project&subview=table&threatened)
● Observers: 1,248
● Average number of observations per person: 22.94
World by the numbers
● Observations: 2,436,844
● Species: 65,682+ (including more than 3,940+ rare/endangered/threatened species)
● Observers: 83,528
● Most-observed species globally: Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos)
● Cities: 690
● Countries: 51
World highlights
● Australian giant cuttlefish (Ascarosepion apama), Australia, near threatened: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/209454522
● Serowe lashes (Blepharis petalidioides), Botswana, endemic in Botswana: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/211605362
● Verrucosa undecimvariolata, Brazil, second occurrence of this species on iNaturalist in the entire Brazilian state of Santa Catarina and only 66 records worldwide on GBIF: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/211772297
● Northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens), Canada, sound recording of a frog that is of special concern in Canada: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/210881034
● Common picture wing (Rhyothemis variegata), India, freeze-frame photo of a dragonfly showing opposition of wings in motion: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/210021110
● Lizard goby (Rhinogobius flumineus), Japan, endemic in Japan: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/210788976
● Leptinella rotundata, New Zealand, endangered in New Zealand: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/209408812
● Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata), Panama, critically endangered coral, many of these corals died last year as a result of our high water temperatures, its nice to see one of this size: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/210627468
● Western leopard toad (Sclerophrys pantherina), South Africa, endemic and endangered in South Africa: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/212553781
● Little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) - Spain, critically endangered in Spain: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/210727196
● Arrhenia discorosea, Ukraine, second record of vulnerable mushroom species from Ukraine: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/210382974
● Small coastal plain spreading pogonia (Cleistesiopsis oricamporum), USA, Unusual double-flower observation of a vulnerable species: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/209899260
Thank you again, and until next year!
Lisa (@lmarun) and Olivia (@olivia_poulos)