City Nature Challenge

The City Nature Challenge is an annual event  Coquitlam competes with communities around the world  promotes to gather observations about nature, find interesting species and engage people using iNaturalist, a project of National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences.

2024 City Nature Challenge

Pop-up Event 

Date: Friday, April 26
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
Location: Community Plaza, Town Center Park 

Nature Walk

Date: Sunday, April 28
Time: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: ƛ̓ÉXƏTƏM (Colony Farms) Regional Park

Educational Webinars

Webinar #1: Observing with iNaturalist in urban spaces: webinar one in the City Nature Challenge series.

Webinar # 2: Observing with iNaturalist around wetland habitat: webinar two in the City Nature Challenge series.

Webinar #3: Observing with iNaturalist in forest settings: webinar three in the City Nature Challenge series.

2023 Tri-City Nature Challenge  

In 2023, we worked with  Port Coquitlam and Port Moody for a second year and hosted guided walks, hatchery visits, children’s activities and more.  

Across the three cities there were 15 events when residents can document plants, animals and other organisms on the iNaturalist app. Thank you to everyone who participated! 

  • Total observations: 1,434
  • Total species observed:  363

Using the iNaturalist App

iNaturalist is an initiative of National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences, iNaturalist is a network of citizens, naturalists and biologists who map and share observations about biodiversity around the globe. 

The app is free and open to everyone. Members can browse nearby posts, upload their own images and audio recordings, and receive feedback and information from the iNaturalist community. 

To have your observations counted for the Tri-Cities in this year’s City Nature Challenge:

  • Go to iNaturalist or download the free iNaturalist app from the App Store or Google Play and create an account. 
  • Observations may include descriptions, uploaded photos, or photo or audio recordings through the app. Photos should be clear and full-frame.

Visit the City Nature Challenge Frequently Asked Questions page for detailed instructions and tips for making eligible observations.

iNaturalist is a third-party app, and the City of Coquitlam makes no claims about the security or privacy of its use. View the iNaturalist Privacy Policy.