Albuquerque locals are encouraged to participate in the City Nature Challenge organized by The University of New Mexico R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography. The challenge, which runs from April 26 to April 29, aims to engage the community in documenting urban nature and collecting data on the biodiversity of the region.
According to Laurel Ladwig, ABQ Backyard Refuge Program Director and City Nature Challenge planner, the event presents an opportunity for residents to connect with the natural world. Ladwig stated, "City Nature Challenge is an NM opportunity to pay attention to the living world and get to know our wild neighbors. It is a great community science project for beginners because you’re contributing useful data to the iNaturalist database even if you don’t know the names of the beings you’re observing."
Participants are required to download the iNaturalist app and join the project named City Nature Challenge 2024: ABQ. All photos taken between April 26 and April 29 in Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Valencia Counties will contribute to the Albuquerque total. The observations can include plants, animals, fungi, slime molds, or any evidence of life.
The City Nature Challenge not only promotes community engagement but also fosters a sense of friendly competition among various UNM departments. Lane, a representative, mentioned that departments are competing to gather the most observations and species observed, as well as increase departmental participation.
To facilitate participation, the R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography and the ABQ Backyard Refuge Program will host an event on Friday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside Bandelier East. The event will provide guidance on collecting observations, and guided campus walks will be available for participants to learn how to make observations.
After the observation period, naturalists and scientists will review the data collected on iNaturalist, with the identification process expected to be completed by May 5. The finalized datasets will then be used for mapping and analysis of biodiversity in the communities. The Center for Community Geography is collaborating with the Albuquerque Backyard Refuge Program to utilize the City Nature Challenge data for mapping and planning community habitat restoration projects.
The City Nature Challenge serves as a community-wide citizen science effort, encouraging UNM students and Albuquerque residents to contribute to the documentation of urban nature and support scientific research on biodiversity in the region.