Started in 2016 as a competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the City Nature Challenge (CNC) has grown into an international event, motivating people around the world to find and document wildlife in their own cities. Run by the Community Science teams at the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM), the CNC is an annual four-day global bioblitz at the end of April, where cities are in a collaboration-meets-friendly-competition to see what can be accomplished when we all work toward a common goal. The 2023 CNC takes place in two parts: 1. Taking pictures of wild plants and animals: April 28 – May 1, 2023 2. Identifying what was found: May 2 – May 7, 2023 Results will be announced on Monday May 8, 2023.
Reaching out and stepping up: How citizen science and RRI can enhance bioscience research
Since the onset of the COVID19 pandemic, the impact of bioscience research on all of our lives has been made far too clear. However, developments within this field of research will continue to have long-lasting impacts on the world around us long after the current pandemic, from improving food security, mitigating climate change, protecting wildlife and the environment, as well as to continued medical advancements of all types. As the world continues to collide with the field of bioscience research, it has become increasingly important to include societal actors when we approach these fields of study. ResBios and StepChange invite you to join an online conversation about how RRI and citizen science can be used to enhance research, with a particular focus on open science and public engagement in the fields of bioscience research. By combining our shared experiences, we aim to demonstrate the theory and practice of employing these principles while discussing future challenges.
Nature is vitally important, and nature is in trouble, but we can all help with nature’s recovery by helping fill in the gaps in what we know about the species on our doorsteps. By looking out for wildlife in your own neighbourhood, you can support vital conservation research whilst connecting with nature and enjoying the outdoors. That is why this September, researchers, school groups, citizens and wildlife enthusiasts across the continent are coming together in a race against the clock to put nature on the map, submitting photos and observations of wildlife in their neighbourhoods through the free, easy to use iNaturalist mobile phone app. Join an epic race for wildlife this September as citizens across Europe take part in the worlds’ first 48 hour continental BioBlitz!