Hello City Nature Challenge Community!

Have you let us know that you’re joining in the 2020 City Nature Challenge? Still have some questions? Interested but not sure if it is a right fit? Planning on participating but haven’t registered as a collaborating organization for 2020? Don’t worry, there is still time… and in the meantime, why don’t your join us next week to explore the possibilities?

Whether you’ve already signed up or are still considering your options, we hope you’ll join us -- the CNC Boston steering committee -- at our first-ever City Nature Challenge Meet-up on February 10 from 12 - 3 pm at the Franklin Park Zoo! It’s free, and there will be snacks, and it will be a great chance to get together with others interested in supporting the CNC to engage our community in citizen science and documenting biodiversity in our area.

Use this google form to let us know your coming! In the form, you’ll also be able to indicate if you are a returning organization, or joining for the first-time. We’re also asking a couple of questions to find out what type of training or collaborations you might be interested in.

During the CNC Meet-up you’ll have an opportunity to participate in ‘How to iNat workshops’ for both new and advanced users, share ideas for how to engage your community, learn about Data Quests, and have all of your questions about the CNC answered. We look forward to connecting!

This year the CNC will have about 200 cities participating in this global effort to document urban biodiversity. The 2020 CNC: Boston Area will now include within the I-495 corridor, out to Stellwagen Bank, and include Cape Cod and islands. You and your organization can help boost Boston to the top of the leaderboard by making observations from April 24 - 27 and/or helping to identify observations from April 28 - May 3, 2020. Check out our website to learn more! You can also view our ‘Welcome Webinar’ from Jan. 13 on the CNC YouTube Channel. You’ll see it is divided into three parts: part 1 covers an overview of the CNC (including how to get involved), part 2 covers iNaturalist essentials, and part 3 is an open Q & A.

Thanks, we look forward to seeing you soon!

The CNC Steering Committee

Boston Area City Nature Challenge Steering Committee:
Aimee Bonanno, New England Aquarium and New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative
Colleen Hitchcock, Brandeis University
Claire O’Neill, Earthwise Aware
Eliza Forman and John Anderson, Zoo New England
Peter Burn, Suffolk University
Pam DiBona, MassBays National Estuary Partnership
Stan Rullman, Kim Arlen, and Mark Chandler, Earthwatch Institute
Rob Stevenson, University of Massachusetts Boston

Amazing job to everyone who participated in the City Nature Challenge 2018: Boston Area! Together, 442 people have collected 1065 dandelion observations in our region. Thanks to your hard work, the Common Dandelion was the most observed species in the project. See more of the Challenge results at:
www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2018-boston-area

Even though the City Nature Challenge has concluded for 2018, this Dandelion Delights data quest is still going. This is a continuous data collection project, meaning your dandelion observations will contribute to important research throughout the year. Let's keep up the momentum and observe even more occurrences of this weedy wonder!

Are you having trouble making observations? Would you like to meet fellow nature enthusiasts? You should attend a guided observation event. Several researchers and organizations are hosting City Nature Challenge (CNC) walks and we want you to attend! You will work with other naturalists and citizen scientists to take quality observations and learn how to identify local species.

Boston Area CNC Kick-Off Walk

• When: Friday, April 27, 2:00pm-5:00pm
• Where: Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord, MA
• Host organization: Zoo New England
• Description: Join Zoo New England’s Grassroots Wildlife Conservation for a “bioblitz” as we celebrate the kick-off of the CNC! This is a family-friendly event open to citizen scientists of all ages. The group will meet at the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord and document the birds, plants, and wildlife that they see in the area.

Fresh Pond Reservation Earthwatch Bioblitz

• When: Saturday, April 28, 8:30am-11:30am
• Where: 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge, MA
• Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/earthwatch-at-fresh-pond-boston-area-city-nature-challenge-tickets-43627687588?utm_source=http://mail.earthwatch.org/earthwatcheuropelz/
• Description: Join Earthwatch scientists for our kickoff event for an exploration of the urban wildlife of Fresh Pond Reservation’s Black’s Nook and Lusitania Meadow. Your observations help local scientists monitor local biodiversity, and also count as entries to help Boston win the City Nature Challenge 2018!

Learn more about these and other CNC events at:
www.zoonewengland.org/protect/here-in-new-england/boston-area-city-nature-challenge/calendar-of-events

Are you having trouble collecting dandelion observations? Check out these materials! This field guide will teach you where to collect observations, how to properly photograph specimens, and how to identify this plant species. Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) biodiversity cards will provide interesting information about dandelion traits, conservation status, as well as identification assistance.

Quest introduction: www.drive.google.com/file/d/1OJsiuG4IQE3PGK5PmBsJF8WGKOJPnf4v/view?usp=sharing
Field species guide: www.drive.google.com/file/d/1_0VnzpaXowuztTmMBjVsyKw0znQszEqi/view?usp=sharing
EOL biodiversity cards: www.drive.google.com/file/d/1j_HFAL0dQazCXKKmIt7yBu1lO4cl8C0F/view?usp=sharing

Most people dislike the presence of weeds in their yards. However, these plants provide numerous benefits to the pasture ecosystems they occur in. They can be used as food sources, medicines, and environmental indicators.

National Weed Appreciation Day, celebrated annually on March 28, is a time to honor weeds for their usefulness and beauty. You can celebrate dandelions while contributing to meaningful research by photographing these plants in your backyard, city park, or the edge of a sidewalk, and identifying them here on iNaturalist.

Let's all show some love to these weedy wonders!

Your observations could be used in an important scientific study! Researchers at UMass Boston are comparing dandelion flowering times across the continent to look at their genetic diversity. Check out the materials below to learn more about the research being conducted as well as how to properly photograph the specimen and record basic information that can be used in this study.

Field species guide: www.drive.google.com/file/d/1_0VnzpaXowuztTmMBjVsyKw0znQszEqi/view?usp=sharing
EOL biodiversity cards: www.drive.google.com/file/d/1j_HFAL0dQazCXKKmIt7yBu1lO4cl8C0F/view?usp=sharing