City Nature Challenge India
City results published globally
City Nature Challenge India is an event by The Naturalist School for students in Playgroup, Pre-Nursery, Nursery, LKG, UKG & Grade 1 to 12, open to students across India. It is free to take part.
Mode
Hybrid
Eligibility
Playgroup, Pre-Nursery, Nursery, LKG, UKG & Grade 1 to 12
Fee
Free
Duration
Four days of observation followed by about two weeks of identification
Format
Both
Time needed
No minimum; participants upload as many or as few observations as they like during the four days
Key dates
- Dates
- 30 Apr 2027 to 3 May 2027
Online · iNaturalist
About this opportunity
The City Nature Challenge is an annual global event in which people record as many wild plants, animals and fungi as they can find in their own city over four days. Observations are photographed and uploaded through the iNaturalist app.
The challenge runs in two phases. During the four-day observation window participants photograph, or record the sounds of, anything wild they come across, from trees and insects to birds, frogs and even tracks and feathers. An identification phase follows, in which participants and the wider iNaturalist community help work out what was recorded. Pets, garden plants and other cultivated species are marked separately, because the challenge is about wild biodiversity.
The challenge is organized globally by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. In India it is coordinated by The Naturalist School together with WWF-India, COCOON and CitizenScience.Asia, supported by national, zonal and state coordinators. India has taken part since 2023, and results are published for every participating city alongside cities around the world.
Eligibility
- Grade level
- Playgroup, Pre-Nursery, Nursery, LKG, UKG & Grade 1 to 12
- Age range
- 0 to 100 years
- Location
- Nationwide
Academic requirement
No prior knowledge of species identification is required.
Prerequisites
- An iNaturalist account, which must be parent-managed for children under thirteen
Open to everyone in India with no age or grade restriction and no experience needed. Observations count towards a City Nature Challenge project when they are made inside the boundary of a registered city or state project. Children under thirteen need a parent-managed iNaturalist account.
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Academic details
Difficulty: Mixed Levels
What's covered
Participants learn what counts as a wild observation, how to photograph plants, animals and fungi so they can be identified, how to upload observations with accurate date and location, and how the community identification process on iNaturalist works.
Rewards and recognition
Recognition
City results published globally
Skills your child builds
How to apply
- 1Install the iNaturalist app and create a free account
- 2Photograph or record wild plants, animals and fungi during the four-day window
- 3Upload each observation with its date and location
- 4Help identify observations during the identification phase
Fees & financial support
Fee details
There is no registration fee and no payment step for participants. The iNaturalist app used to record and upload observations is free to download and use.
Frequently asked questions
Is City Nature Challenge India free?
This opportunity is free to participate in.
Who can participate in City Nature Challenge India?
Students in Playgroup, Pre-Nursery, Nursery, LKG, UKG & Grade 1 to 12. Children aged 0 to 100.
What will my child gain from City Nature Challenge India?
Observations join the global iNaturalist dataset. City and state results published alongside cities worldwide. Species identification and nature photography skills. Identifications reviewed by the iNaturalist community. Local nature walks and bioblitz events in many cities.
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