Happy Moth Week! Celebrating 10 years of enthusiasm for moths, National Moth Week has lots to offer for all ages and locations. EcoSpark encourages our participants to get outside evenings this week and add your moth sightings to iNaturalist. View Canadian results at:
https://inaturalist.ca/projects/national-moth-week-2021-canada

Excellent resources for finding and learning about moths can be found at https://nationalmothweek.org/, with some special ideas for kids: https://nationalmothweek.org/kids-page/ Your observations make a tremendous difference in research about these vital insects.

In Toronto people have lots of questions about the invasive LDD moth (gypsy moth) practically raining on us in some areas. We love how citizen scientists are pitching in to study the few (yet abundant!) pest species AND helping report the majority of moth species which are beneficial. Read more at https://www.ecospark.ca/blog/gypsymoth-caterpillarscount and also report LDD sightings in the city here: http://www.toronto.ca/gypsymoth

How to attract diverse moths:
Start by turning on a porch light and hanging up a white sheet for the moths to cling to.
Moths can also be baited by painting a slurry of overripe banana, sugar, and beer on a tree trunk. With either method, watch to see what flies in, then carefully take a photo of each moth species for iNaturalist. Remember to identify it at least as a moth to help get more specific ID's from the community.
You can attract and observe moths in any nighttime location. Read more details here: https://nationalmothweek.org/finding-moths-2/

Colourful day-flying moths such as the snowberry clearwing https://inaturalist.ca/observations?taxon_id=358549, a bumble bee mimic, are other interesting finds!

Need more convincing? Here's what the organizers say about why moths are so important:
"Moths can be important bioindicators. A bioindicator is a species or taxon that tells us about the health of an ecosystem. A greater diversity of moths typically means there is a greater diversity of plant species, which leads to a greater diversity of other species as well. They can help us monitor food plant populations and they are important food sources for many nocturnal AND diurnal organisms. Also, moths typically have a reputation of being drab, dull pests. However, that is certainly not the case. An extreme minority of moth species can cause trouble to humans, but most moths either have no impact on our lives or may serve important ecosystem functions such as pollination. Many moths are actually very interestingly patterned and colored. Moths are a world of sphinxes, hawks, owls, tigers, and scary eyes, all waiting for you outside your door, or perhaps in your home."

Congratulations, Toronto and GTA; as of May 5th we have achieved 900 species identified for City Nature Challenge 2021! These stem from more than 5,000 observations submitted since April 30th. And the Challenge isn't complete yet. Observations from April 30-May 3 can still be submitted until May 9th. Now it's time to kick into gear with our identifications! Everyone can help with identifying species to the best of their ability. For example, many people could help place unknown observations into "plant" or "bird" categories to help them get identified faster by species-level experts. Final results will be announced May 10th, so let's help ensure the GTA makes the most of our contributions for the global City Nature Challenge! Read some more details below to get started then click on the Identify tab on iNaturalist to see what's involved.

What is an identification?
An identification, or ID for short, is an assessment of the type of animal, plant, or other creature that was observed. It is typically listed with a common name and a scientific name, though some species do not have common names. When you make an observation, identify the creature as best as you can, even if that is just “plant” or “bird.”

On iNaturalist, other users are encouraged to add identifications to each other’s observations in order to confirm or improve the Community Identification (see further discussion on the iNaturalist help tab on Research Grade status). If your ID of your observation differs from the community’s assessment and you prefer that your ID take priority, just reject the community ID by clicking the "Reject?" link above the community ID. You can also opt-out of community IDs entirely by editing your settings.

Please do not simply “Agree” with an ID that someone else has made without confirming that you understand how to identify that taxon. An identification confirms that you can confidently identify it yourself compared to any possible lookalikes. If you agree with the ID without actually knowing the taxon, it may reach Research Grade erroneously.

There are several types of IDs:

Leading: Taxon descends from the community taxon. This identification could be leading toward the right answer.
Improving: First suggestion of this taxon that the community subsequently agreed with. This identification helped refine the community taxon.
Supporting: Taxon is the same as the community taxon. This identification supports the community ID.
Maverick: Taxon is not a descendant or ancestor of the community taxon. The community does not agree with this identification.

City Nature Challenge is well underway and there are terrific observations rolling in! Great work exploring, everyone. Here are a few additional resources from the Canadian Wildlife Federation to support you making great observations close to home!

Exploring At Home: https://cwf-fcf.org/assets/Exploring-at-home-CNC-Canada.pdf

iNaturalist Photo Guide: https://cwf-fcf.org/assets/images/inat-photo-pdf-thumb.PNG

Please encourage family and friends to take part. Here's a simple intro:
https://cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/downloads/booklets-handouts/iNat_Postcard_en_1.pdf

Stay tuned on social media with #CNCToronto

COMMUNITY SCIENTISTS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GLOBAL CITY NATURE CHALLENGE, APRIL 30 – May 3, 2021
Sixth annual challenge to document biodiversity grows to over 400 participating cities on six continents; results announced on May 10.

Toronto and Greater Toronto Area – As community science initiatives—which provide a safe way to connect people with nature and each other during the pandemic—continue to grow in popularity, this year’s sixth annual City Nature Challenge is expanding to more than 400 cities across six continents. Beginning on Friday, April 30 at 12:01 am in each time zone, the Challenge runs through Monday, May 3, 11:59 pm. The global event, co-organized by San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, calls on current and aspiring community scientists, nature and science fans, and people of all ages and education backgrounds to observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals, and fungi using the free mobile app iNaturalist. From Friday, April 30 to Monday, May 3, participants can upload their observations to the app, with identifications happening from Tuesday, May 4 to Sunday, May 9. Final results will be announced on Monday, May 10.

EcoSpark is coordinating the City Nature Challenge for Toronto and Greater Toronto Area. Register now for our launch event biodiversity training webinar Apr 30th at 11am.
EcoSpark also offers workshops for adult volunteers and engaging curriculum-linked workshops for grade 6-12 students in the GTA to take part in citizen science on their school ground. Learn more at www.ecospark.ca

Nature is all around us; in our cities, neighborhoods, and even in our homes. One of the best ways to study nature and its biodiversity is by connecting scientists and local community members through community science. As global human populations become increasingly concentrated in cities, it’s more important than ever to document urban biodiversity and help ensure the future of plants and wildlife. Large pools of data built through iNaturalist, natural history museums, and science organizations help leaders make informed conservation decisions that allow both human and natural communities to thrive.

After launching the first-ever City Nature Challenge in 2016, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences are hosting their sixth—and largest—effort. That initial challenge invited participants from Los Angeles and San Francisco to observe and submit pictures of wildlife they encountered using iNaturalist. By the end of that inaugural weekend, over 1,000 participants submitted more than 20,000 observations of nature to iNaturalist.

In response to the pandemic, this year’s Challenge will not be focused on competition, but rather global collaboration as more than 41,000 people around the world are estimated to participate however they can. For both budding and veteran community scientists, participating is easy:

Find wildlife in your home, neighborhood, backyard, or anywhere else! It can be any wild plant, animal, fungi, slime mold, or any other evidence of life, such as scat, fur, tracks, shells, or carcasses. Check out this guide for tips on finding the surprisingly abundant biodiversity in and around your own home!
Take pictures of what you find using iNaturalist.
Learn more as your observations are identified.

With travel restrictions due to the pandemic, scientists more than ever rely on observations from community scientists for important findings. During the 2020 City Nature Challenge, despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, participants in Miami spotted an amethyst hairstreak butterfly, a species nearly extirpated from the United States. In Panama, community scientists documented a vibrant—and critically endangered—harlequin frog. And in Washington D.C., participants recorded Arlington County’s first observation of a white-spotted slimy salamander in over 40 years. Over 1,300 endangered, endemic, or data deficient species were recorded during the 2020 City Nature Challenge! This influx of information gives scientists, educators, urban planners, and policymakers insight into the biodiversity of locations throughout the world.

More Information and Education Toolkit: Visit citynaturechallenge.org
EcoSpark will share local highlights and results. Stay tuned at ecospark.ca

iNaturalist
Signing up is easy and free. Visit inaturalist.org from your browser, or download iNaturalist from the Apple App Store or Google Play store.

Social Media

CityNatureChallenge

Twitter:
@citnatchallenge
@EcoSpark_Env
Instagram: ecospark_env

Please feel free to brainstorm other ideas, ask questions, etc. in the comments – and definitely add others to this journal post via tagging them in the comments!

Toronto participants with 500+ records, please help out adding sightings this weekend and help spread the word!
1 @oridgen10 4,299 1,229
2 @owenstrickland 4,085 2,653
3 @naturemannate 2,754 873
4 @garyyankech 2,685 1,076
5 @dbeadle 2,663 1,580
6 @paulreevesphotography 2,521 651
7 @kens18 2,385 962
8 @kha 2,136 469
9 @davidpickett 2,092 439
10 @mws 2,032 683
11 @nancybarrett 1,927 560
12 @brianstahls 1,619 672
13 @gary-james 1,590 412
14 @dkaposi 1,542 680
15 @kyukich 1,472 655
16 @jfarley25 1,457 806
17 @rileywalsh 1,311 1,096
18 @scharf 1,286 371
19 @glennberry 1,062 411
20 @lukek 1,041 249
21 @pinemartyn 993 511
22 @yryzhik 982 462
23 @ajpto 924 198
24 @rbarakat 883 322
25 @iapkarian 856 291
26 @richardlbaxter 812 342
27 @jeongyoo 728 215
28 @grahamrm 674 320
29 @marilyn20 636 285
30 @raviner 630 194
31 @bogend 622 291
32 @brithikesontario 598 243
33 @greatblueheron 593 293
34 @leplady0209 571 294
35 @nsferguson 547 168
36 @adam_capparelli 539 280
37 @colleencraig 526 162
38 @katherinebaird 494 208

Students can monitor local biodiversity by observing local plants and wildlife with the City Nature Challenge. STEM and geography concepts come to life outside! EcoSpark and City Nature Challenge provide a suite of options to support educators as classes head outside to explore nature.
The City Nature Challenge Education Toolkit provides useful and informative resources for teaching and managing students outside as well as a guide for using the iNaturalist platform to save and document observations. This event can provide an opportunity to integrate curriculum and outdoor activities with the help of the Educator Basecamp Resources also available on the Education Toolkit website. Resources are available suited for different age groups as well as the general public.
EcoSpark also offers engaging curriculum-linked workshops for grade 6-12 students in the GTA to take part in citizen science on their school ground. Register your class today!