Saskatoon and Regina have accepted the challenge and are joining Calgary and Edmonton in the BiodiverCity Challenge June 9th to 12th to observe and document as much wildlife as possible.

Member of the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas group, which is helping to promote the event, Julia Adamson, says it’s easy to take part.
You don’t even have to be able to identify what you see. Download the free iNaturalist app on your smart phone. Through the app, take a picture, and the experts will do the rest.

Later, you can check back in to see what it was you took pictures of.  Adamson says it’s as easy as “Find it. Snap it. Share it.”  Along with living animals and plants, you can also include signs of life, like nests, feathers or seashells.

She says it’s a way to get out in the fresh air and learn about the ecosystems around us, plus, by observing local nature, you support vital conservation research while connecting with nature and enjoying the outdoors.  Adamson says this is a spin-off of a global event called the City Nature Challenge held at the end of April, but because spring is later in our part of the world, it was decided to have a later event.