City Nature Challenge 2024 -- DFW!
This year the City Nature Challenge has snuck up on me a bit!!! Apologies that I've not been pestering people more -- that's about to change. :)
From Friday April 26 through Monday April 29, any and all observations made on these four days from the 10 counties that make up DFW (Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, and Wise) and uploaded before May 6th will count towards the DFW City Nature Challenge. No extra steps, no projects that you have to join, nothing -- it's automatic!
The most valuable observations are made in public parks (these tend to be meaningful for the public land management, highlighting the constituency of naturalists that use that park for nature, and incentivizing the city to acquire more open space), but observations anywhere (even in your yard!) will count!
Here are some of the events going on (that I know of -- if you know of others, please let me know!):
April 26 - 7 PM blacklighting at Mockingbird Nature Park in Midlothian
April 27 - 9 AM at Trinity River Audubon Center
April 27 - 10 AM at Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve in Arlington
April 27 - 10 AM Walsh Ranch Pocket Prairie Bioblitz in Parker County
April 27 - Bioblitz and blacklighting at Frisco Grand Park
These events won't really have much of a 'program' -- they're just gathering locations to get together with other naturalists and observe like crazy. :)
Most importantly, I hope you spend some time outside engaging with nature. That's what this event is all about -- engaging with the nature around us. Hope you're able to do just that! Tell your friends too!!! :)
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!
Sam Kieschnick
TPWD Urban Wildlife Biologist, DFW
sam.kieschnick@tpwd.texas.gov
214 215 5605
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Tagging the top observers from this year:
@bobbie79 @rick57 @georgenaturephotos @eleanorpate @tadamcochran @cnacree @jnemoebright @charley @jblinde @tabbybrobston @algraff @annikaml @kathrynwells333 @castlegrande @sam_moore_ @assmann @ornithoptor @janlapine @oddfitz @jcat @strongm @sandrahorton @sheilabean @observerjosh @jhamby @bjorn_strump @andrewbrinker @nathanmayflower @tzonk @faith_labry @baxter-slye @scarletskylight @daniel112 @jeannevc @jada-martinez @centex @rmboys @sehnature @ashleyrsteel @donovanmoxley @galactic_bug_man @bob777 @jansan4661 @inhat83 @austinnm @patagoniancavy @lisa281 @karen762 @saltyhiker
@williampaulwhite17 @mks6 @summervillenature @sarahparoski @jurassicbro238 @pretendomologist @iacomaner @mallyblue @cwd912nb @lynnc12 @chuckwilliamson @wlhwildlife @katermorgan @mbintexas @pattyjane @baophamto @lindsayl @backyard_conservancy @brentano @gracklegrace @squaylei2000 @beethree @katdevargas @jasmitch @reiver @jocobirder @kimberlietx @marcie12h @seymouraquabio @abigailmm @txwoofus @tayne-dot-exe @walkingstick2 @ben_b41 @okapi08 @julia_dilley @samantha_knight @paige51066 @nature_shell @emilydblack @justkate @mputtonen @devinpedraza @hardenk59 @drbh2o @isaaceastland @gdmcknight @robbsqd @kaf213
@brenda_clark @jonothon-cantu @andrew1258 @ashwinvn2 @k8thegr8 @meroshea @apcorboy @neomyte @bbryan @daricrogers @jsuplick @brookso @jim668 @dankplant @famius1 @genesis99649 @tmn-alc @sdelao @mackenzie_hill @sciencegeek @gttex13 @lulubelle @dmort @madisonba13 @shaffer56 @naturenut @bsandifer @daisy8 @taylordon @krboys @texotics @mgram55 @colton_mayo @paulette99 @gwaithir @ghostburglar @landobaggins @alliumaficionado @missmary @stephanie_txbp @marykaren @henrya @evanrc @brookeprater @beckymn @jthomlinson @miscelaineous
@zelee
@peywey @daltonlawing @lucygoose97 @notana @erinmckool @susanaber @greneric59 @aguilita @merediga @brirosa @ethanolfillups @calvinnering @jwn @bendire44john @ambytbfl @denver @northcut1 @callmekiwii @rosealin @xenabird @abbie15 @madisong @balajidevarajan @kayler09 @fratto @mustardlypig @oabt @cgritz @cameralenswrangler @celene @lauranan @chelsee13 @lkholt @tsbasham @bocefuss @teagnome @marciedelgado @joshknowsbest @chandlerdavis @dirtdoc @techguy_does_naturephotography @aquilla-buchanan @atassin @ilovegroundfowl @evo @leslie_cooper @lemros @joshmols @elenagreenmom @ppilarski @drawntoscales @naturemom @quincy2c @valt @lizzie420 @landoniousmonk @avievolve @dagmar @itmndeborah @katiejean58 @tfandre @kimberlywalks @postoak @dorothy12 @morganic @salientia @kari_dawn @kreichy @rehb @calibakker @troutlily57 @haleydaniels @nancylovesbugs @winnhawk @donyoung @taharms48 @bog_admiral @lindadntmn
I'm sure I left off a bunch of folks -- if you know of others that will be observing in DFW on this weekend, please tag them! :)
I'll try to make the evening ones. Family may or may not be present
Saturday April 27th is the UNT Pollinative Prairie 'from Dawn till Dusk' event. A day packed with activities including bioblitzing. Feel free to join us.
@sambiology Thanks, Sam. Looking forward to it! :-)
any details about that @baxter-slye ?
Ready!
this is awesome! Texas Discovery Gardens of Fair Park is also having a mini BioBlitz on April 27-28! :)
DFW came close to 2nd for number of observations last year! I bet we can take it this time 'round!
YAY! Thanks for the reminder! GO DFW!!!!
@sambiology Can you add a little more to this:
Are there certain initiatives or reasons why the public parks have such value? Thanks! Might encourage some people to visit parks in the future too knowing how their observations make a difference!
Go DFW! I'll be away in my secondary 'hood (Portland OR) for City Nature Challenge weekend. I'll help them out. :-) I really want to explore Shari Capehart Nature Preserve--another time.
Woo hoo!!! @baxter-slye and @mallyblue , if you toss on some more details of your bioblitzes, I'll add them to the above calendar!
And thanks @scarletskylight -- I elaborated a bit on that.
Anywhere you are this weekend (even out of DFW, @jasmitch ), hopefully everyone gets to go outside and engage with nature!!!
Let's keep our fingers crossed for 'reasonable' weather. :)
Adding a plug here for those who will be making observations during the City Nature Challenge - if you feel comfortable helping out with identifications during this time, we'll have plenty of observations to go through! Even if you're not comfortable with lots of species, perhaps there are some you really know - maybe it's the little purple flowers of field madder or the winding vines of a snailseed, or even a high-level ID of "grass" or "fungus" to help get things into the right buckets. All will be helpful!
I'll be out looking for my odes and birds- bonus this year, I took Friday off work just for this event.
Very interested in the blacklighting at Frisco Grand Park.
Will also help with ID's as much as I can- not the best at plants, but I can ID a common green darner or two.
@sambiology We'll be out of state for the first few days, and probably pretty tired after, but I'll cross my fingers that we're able to make it to at least one Bioblitz once we get back!!
We're heading to visit my family in Iowa to go morel mushroom hunting with my great uncles, and the mushrooms wait for no one - so we had to bump our trip forward a bit. Good news is, we should be able to make the Ladd Bioblitz on the 7th if that's still on the agenda.
I've been looking forward to this! I finally have a job that gives me weekends off so I'll hopefully be going all in! I'll try to attend many of these blitzes
@sambiology I've eagerly anticipated the City Nature Challenge! I'll definitely be at Grand Park and possibly Walsh Ranch too.
I’ll see if I can get a small group together at the Northaven Trail. It’s an Oncor easement we have been trying to fill with native plants as a prairie restoration.
Good luck everyone! Not sure where I will be that weekend, I moved to San Marcos so we'll just have to see
This northaven trail?
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Northaven+Trail,+Dallas,+TX/@32.8918412,-96.8149352,12z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x864c207ecec748a1:0xaa24827e703a78cd!8m2!3d32.9007777!4d-96.8108496!16s%2Fg%2F11h171tht?entry=ttu
I'm hoping we get a lot of observations at Tandy Hills Natural Area in Fort Worth. Come on in! http://www.tandyhills.org
Woohoo can't wait!! Thanks for the tag!
Thanks for the tag! I'm hoping to get out some everyday.
Looking forward to this year's challenge, Sam! I'll try to make some of the events you've listed here.
@williampaulwhite17 yes that Northaven Trail. Are you near there? Maybe we could get a group together. @northcut1
Thank you Sam for the heads-up! Will be ready!
Thanks @sambiology! We're looking forward to CNC at Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve!
@dorothy12 yeah, I'm like 5-6 miles northo f there.
I do shift work so my schedule is erratic but I'd be interested in there.
@sambiology TDG's iNaturalist project is up and running! It's titled '2024 Texas Discovery Gardens Spring BioBlitz'. The winner of which will earn a crisp thumbs up. lol :)
We also have a yearly project 'Texas Discovery Gardens 2024', which is more for our ecology and migration studies.
Thank you for tagging me! This gives me even more determination to get outside tjis weekend!
Purtis Creek State Park in Eustace is doing a Bioblitz June 14-15th
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=824056459763383&set=a.303166985185669
Rainy rain rain?!?
I've gotten some questions about events and if they'll still happen if it's raining. Well, most of them are still going on, as far as I know (Frisco has cancelled). Now, if it's raining or super windy, not too much stuff with show up at blacklights for evening programs... But we'll still try! :)
Keep that umbrella handy, and hopefully you're still able to get outside some! :)
*** correction -- just got word from the City of Frisco that their day time and evening time bioblitzes and mothing events are cancelled -- hopefully to be rescheduled later on!
Sorry Sam I won't be on your team this year! :(
I'm very sad about the mothing event being cancelled so please tag me when they reschedule!
@sambiology - I'll be on The Flower Mound on Monday morning at 9am to lead bioblitz of the prairie. Things are looking great on The Mound after a hard burn late last summer, and we'd like to document as much as we can post-burn. @kathrynwells333
@naturemom I plan to join you then and there!
At LLELA the $5 entry fee is waved when you show your iNaturalist app to the gate attendant from Friday 4/26 - 4/29/ 2024… tons of wildlife here 🤓
I'd planned to be out at LELLA but we're under a tornado watch :/ hopefully tomorrow
Here's the umbrella project for the Texas cities:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/texas-city-nature-challenge-2024-cities
Here's the identify page for DFW observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?project_id=city-nature-challenge-2024-dallas-fort-worth
Hope all are staying safe! We got hailed on a bit in Arlington!!!
Sam, is there a page from the iNaturalist organization that includes all the cities of the world? They've always had one in the past, but I'm having trouble locating it this year.
Great work, DFW observers! We just crested over 1,000 species - even with all this weather!
@naturemom https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-global-project
@naturemom Sorry, the right ones are here:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-north-and-south-america
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-eurasia-africa-oceania
This one keeps track of all cities, but not on iNat: https://www.citynaturechallenge.org/live
Had a great time at the TRAC bioblitz this morning! I haven't gotten any of my stuff uploaded yet, but everyone else got nearly 150 species documented! Several first time inatters who seemed to love it, so it was exciting to spread the good word!
Is Hunt county included in the DFW area? There were several iNatters up at Clymer meadow this morning for a field trip. We might have been just out of range though. Dang! It was still a good time.
So far, DFW is doing GREAT!!! Sure, San Antonio has gone bonkers this year with observations, but we've still got two more days of bioblitzing! :) It may be a bit rainy for some of us tomorrow and Monday, so have that umbrella handy. :)
We have until next week Sunday (5 May) to finish uploading everything. So even if you take lots of photos of things with a camera or with your phone and not directly through the iNat app, you've got a week to toss them all up. The sooner you can do this, the better for ID'ing!
ID'ing is also super important -- one of the things I like to do is to sort 'random' by order on our observations. This mixes things up a bit so I'm not looking at the same person's observations back to back to back.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?order_by=random&project_id=city-nature-challenge-2024-dallas-fort-worth
Woo hoo City Nature Challenge! :)
@calibakker I'm seeing observations from Clymer pop into my City Nature Challenge ID box, so yes, I believe those are being counted.
@sambiology Good tip about sorting the observations randomly when identifying them, Sam; all these years, and I've never known that was an option!
We're into over 2,000 species now - great work, observers!
... and we just crossed over 3,000 species! Way to go DFW!
Final push!!!! :) I'm running a bit on fumes, but gosh, has it been a fun four days!!!
Hope folks are able to get out a little bit more and observe some local nature.
And, as @scarletskylight mentions, here are the 'species' (or unique taxa) that have been observed in DFW so far:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-dallas-fort-worth?tab=species
FYI -- not City Nature Challenge related, but there's an upcoming bioblitz at the Ladd Nature Preserve next week! :)
https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/93764-ladd-nature-preserve-bioblitz-tuesday-may-7-afternoon-and-evening
It's intriguing to note the considerable surge in the population of the Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea) this year in contrast to the preceding year. Where the documented sightings amounted to a mere 45 in 2023, the current tally stands at an astonishing 513. Comparatively, the meager count of three sightings in 2022 pales in comparison. Could this pronounced escalation be attributed to a milder climate this last winter?
@bobbie79 I was just thinking the same thing; they are everywhere this year. I don't remember ever seeing so many.
@sambiology For those of use working through identifications, is there an ideal date to try to hit? I see observations need to be uploaded by May 6.
@jblinde @sambiology I don't remember seeing this many either.
Added a journal post about events coming up in May - July!
https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/sambiology/94256-may-june-and-july-bioblitzes-and-gatherings
Sorry to miss all this post! But yes, I do concur about the Salt Marsh Moth. At LLELA today, they were everywhere. Maybe the El Nino winter and spring? And, I posted this in the bioblitz post, but I have new job!!! Still at UNT, but a little grander. UNT Dept of Biological Sciences, Clinical Assistant Professor for Ecology Education, starting Fall 2024!! slye@unt.edu if you need me. Woot woot! I have to say I could not have done all the work to get to this place without all of you teaching me who is who of our nature friends. So happy to be part of your weird nature club:)
@baxter-slye Congratulations, Jaime; that's wonderful!
@baxter-slye Congratulations!
@baxter-slye Congratulations and well done!
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