City Nature Challenge 2022: Dallas/Fort Worth's Journal

13 May, 2022

Results... Amazing.

The City Nature Challenge was once again a HUGE success! Thanks to everyone that participated! Dallas/Fort Worth was a global hotspot for naturalists during this 4 day period -- the numbers show just that.

From April 29 through May 2, 2022, over 1300 naturalists documented around 3427 species in 42,500 observations. Numbers in the "thousands" are hard to envision, so here's a challenge: how many organisms can you name off the top of your head? How many bird species? How many plants? Just in the 10 counties that make up the DFW metroplex, we documented loads of species!!! If you want to dig through the results, here's the project page: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2022-dallas-fort-worth

Let's look at some of the specific species documented... We documented 196 species of birds: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=city-nature-challenge-2022-dallas-fort-worth&taxon_id=3&verifiable=any&view=species
We documented 420 species of beetles: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=city-nature-challenge-2022-dallas-fort-worth&taxon_id=47208&verifiable=any&view=species
We documented 85 grass species: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=city-nature-challenge-2022-dallas-fort-worth&taxon_id=47434&verifiable=any&view=species
Play with these filters -- see how many different species of your favorite group of organisms that were documented in just these four days. Tremendous!

Some of the massive champions of the city nature challenge are the identifiers -- these are the individuals that spend time looking through observations, adding comments or identifications to the unknowns, welcoming new naturalists to the community, and learning a lot in the process. Big time thanks to these folks:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=city-nature-challenge-2022-dallas-fort-worth&verifiable=any&view=identifiers

How did we compare with the rest of the state and the rest of the world? Here are the umbrella projects for the state (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/texas-city-nature-challenge-2022-cities) and for the world (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2022). State-wide, we were #1 in observations and #2 in both species and observers. Globally, we were #3 in observations (excluding the 'global project' for the naturalists that didn't have a city that participated in the City Nature Challenge), #5 in species, and #8 in observers. Amazing!

Let's talk relevancy... Who cares about these numbers? Obviously, we do! But more than that, we can use these numbers to justify that not only is there biodiversity here in the metroplex, but there is also an active constituency of naturalists that seek out and need this biodiversity. I use these numbers to demonstrate the need for wild areas in parks. Engaging with nature is a recreational act just as playing soccer or having a picnic is. Public park managers need to realize this and manage areas for us, and for the biodiversity that seeks out parks as refuges. Nature is necessary, and we've got the data to show it!

Huge thanks to all that participated in this city nature challenge. Go ahead and mark the calendars for next year: April 28 - May 1, 2023! Make sure to cancel all work/family/personal obligations to go outside and engage with nature!

Posted on 13 May, 2022 17:23 by sambiology sambiology | 10 comments | Leave a comment

29 April, 2022

Texas leaderboard and Global leaderboard! And the link to ID'ing stuff from DFW

Hey all,

Just a few pages to also watch...

Here's the Texas leaderboard:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/texas-city-nature-challenge-2022-cities

Here's the global leaderboard:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2022

Here's the page where you can help with the DFW observations during the City Nature Challenge:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?project_id=124378
(it populates after the City Nature Challenge starts)

Hope you have lots of chances to engage with nature this weekend! Enjoy it!!!

Posted on 29 April, 2022 03:04 by sambiology sambiology | 40 comments | Leave a comment

11 April, 2022

Events during the City Nature Challenge! (will add more as I find out)

Been mighty busy, so apologies I'm getting this list a bit late. Nonetheless, here are the events that I know of going on during the city nature challenge in Dallas/Fort Worth. If you know of others (or want to host something!), let me know, and I'll add it to the list!

Pre-City Nature Challenge:
Tuesday, April 19
7 - 8 PM: Seeing and Remembering your visit to Sheri Capeheart Nature Preserve, Community Room of the Arlington Police Department, 2060 W Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington

Friday, April 29
7 PM - late: mothing at Mockingbird Nature Park, Midlothian

Saturday, April 30
10 - 11 AM: Flower Mound - intro to iNat and bioblitz
6 PM - late: bug catching and mothing at LLELA (request access through @haleydaniels )

Sunday, May 1
9 - noon: Tokalon Park, 7100 Tokalon Dr, Dallas, TX 75214 (Texas Conservation Alliance will be restoring habitat for pollinators and taking part in the City Nature Challenge)
7 PM - late: mothing at Samuel Farms Park, Dallas

Monday, May 2
6 - 8 PM: bioblitz hike at Oak Cliff Nature Preserve (2875 Pierce St, Dallas, TX 75233)

Posted on 11 April, 2022 20:26 by sambiology sambiology | 13 comments | Leave a comment

08 March, 2022

Are you ready?!? Warm up the cameras, charge your cells, call all of nature! April 29 - May 2

The City Nature Challenge is a'happening at the end of April!!! I can't wait. I love this time -- I challenge myself to observe as many different species at as many different places throughout the metroplex during this weekend. I end up being super worn out after the event, but it's such a great feeling! I hope that you'll join me.

Houston-Galveston (@habitat_jaime !) is boasting and bragging more and more about their numbers of participants and species (although, we did edge them out on number of observations) last year. And all of the other metros in Texas will be participating too -- I could see some of these areas sneaking up and dominating too! How will the naturalist community in DFW do this year?!?

I'll have another post with the public events going on in the metroplex -- if you know of others, send me a message!

Most of all, it's crucial to remember that these numbers from the city nature challenge are used. Like, a lot. Every time I go to a city council, park board, or wherever, I have these numbers of biodiversity, locations for nature, and a massive constituency of people that seek out these wild areas. It's been used a lot to preserve and guide management for wildlife. You can use them too -- let your neighbors know that you're not alone in this growing naturalist community. Nature is necessary!

Really hope that you'll join me in engaging with nature on April 29 - May 2 (and then, ID'ing observations through May 8) to show the rest of the world that we have extraordinary nature in DFW and a massive community of folks that need it.

If you have any questions or concerns, let me know!
sam.kieschnick@tpwd.texas.gov
214 215 5605

Posted on 08 March, 2022 00:12 by sambiology sambiology | 24 comments | Leave a comment

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