Arlington is asking residents to submit nature photos in a contest for which locality can log the most nature sightings in urban environments.
The City Nature Challenge aims to create a database of animal and plates species using photos uploaded to the iNaturalist app by users in different cities worldwide each year.
This year, challenge runs from Friday to Sunday and Arlington is hosting hourly spotting events at local parks where participants can learn to use the app and log their nature observations.
“The Arlington Regional Master Naturalists are sponsoring a series of events and need your help to get better data about our environment,” said Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreations on its website, adding that participants can “help biologists understand the biodiversity of Northern Virginia by documenting the organisms” they find during the events.
Thirteen events are planned in Arlington throughout the weekend. The events planned for tomorrow (Friday) are:
- Barcoft Park from 10 a.m.-1 p.m, with a focus on looking for insects, fish, and more species.
- Benjamin Banneker Park from 2-4 p.m.
- Fort C.F. Smith from 8-9:30 a.m. spotting birds with naturalist David Farner
- Woodlawn Park from 2-4 p.m.
After the observation period closes, the challenge is inviting participants to help out between April 30 and May 5 to identify the species spotted, per the event’s D.C. area website.
Last year, the Greater Washington area entered as one region in the challenge and placed fifth among 68 competing cities, according to the parks department. However, the D.C. area was awarded fourth place for participation with 876 people in the region logging nature sightings in the app.
Image via City Nature Challenge