Apr 22, 2025
“This is a massive international effort to track and showcase global biodiversity at a time when wildlife and people are remerging after a long winter,” said James Pagé, species at risk and biodiversity specialist for the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF). “Simply using the free iNaturalist app to grab a sound recording or snap a photo of any wild plant or animal anywhere in the city, automatically contributes to the tally and to our understanding of biodiversity, like tracking the first butterfly to emerge this season or the earliest spring flowers.”
This year, 36 Canadian cities including Ottawa and Gatineau have united to represent Canada in this global competition to see which community can track the highest number of wildlife observations. Results for both Canada and participating cities internationally will be announced after May 5, 2025.
As two of the Canadian cities registered for the 2025 City Nature Challenge, both Ottawa and Gatineau will be hosting community activities designed to encourage residents to get outdoors and track biodiversity using the free iNaturalist app. These free events include the following:
- Saturday April 26: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: CWF and the National Capital Commission invite participants to the Jack Pine Trail (P9), on Moodie Drive, South of Hunt Club. Activities include biodiversity tracking, guided walks and interactive displays.
- Saturday April 26: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Councillor Riley Brockington’s annual Earth Day celebration at Hunt Club- Riverside Community Centre (McCarthy Woods), corner of Paul Anka Dr. and McCarthy Road. Activities include guided walks, multiple partner booths and biodiversity tracking.
- Saturday April 26 10am 2pm: biologists with the City of Ottawa and volunteers will be onsite at key areas throughout the city to provide information on local biodiversity, iNaturalist information and biodiversity tracking for the CNC. 1) Rideau River pathways, at Springhurst Park near Hurdman Station 2) Brewer Park, Bronson Ave at the south end of the park near the pond 3) Cardinal Creek Community Park, 1825 Trim Road
- Sunday April 27th 9am 1pm: The Foret Boucher Foundation kiosk at the Boucher Forest parking lot (corner of Samuel-Eddy and Allumetieres). Activities include information about the forest, local species and biodiversity tracking
- Sunday April 27: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. (English guided walk) and 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (French guided walk): Gatineau Park Visitor’s Centre, Scott Road. Activities include guides walks, iNaturalist training and biodiversity tracking.
The City Nature Challenge was established by the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and Natural Museum of Los Angeles in 2016. For more information, and a list of Canadians cities competing in 2025 visit: https://inaturalist.ca/projects/city-nature-challenge-canada-2025-defi-nature-urbaine . You can also contribute using iNaturalist all year by joining CWF’s Observation Nation project.
--30—
RELATED LINKS:
Canadian Wildlife Federation CNC Information Page:
www.citynaturechallenge.ca
City Nature Challenge Canada iNaturalist Project Page:
https://inaturalist.ca/projects/city-nature-challenge-canada-2025-defi-nature-urbaine
Canadian Wildlife Federation Observation Nation Project page:
https://inaturalist.ca/projects/observation-nation-bioobservateurs
City Nature Challenge:
https://citynaturechallenge.org/
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national, not-for-profit charitable
organization dedicated to conserving Canada’s wildlife and habitats for the
use and enjoyment of all. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on
wildlife and the environment, carrying out actions to conserve and restore
species and habitats, developing and delivering conservation education
programs, advocating for changes to government policy and programs, and
co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which
Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information, visit
CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.
About the City Nature Challenge:
Started in 2016 for the first-ever Citizen Science Day, the teams at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences dreamed up the City Nature Challenge as a fun way to capitalize on their home cities’ friendly rivalry. In 2017 the City Nature Challenge went national and in 2018 it became an international event.
English Contact:
David DeRocco
Sr. Manager, Marketing and Events
davidd@cwf-fcf.org
(613) 599-9594 x 279
(905) 975 4672 (cell)
French Contact:
James Pagé
Species at Risk and Biodiversity Specialist
jamesp@cwf-fcf.org
(613) 599-9594 x 242