City Nature Challenge

Think globally. Act locally. And do it to help Canada take on the world! That’s the mission for Canadian participants in the 2026 City Nature Challenge, a friendly international competition focused on tracking biodiversity around the world.  All observations become part of an active database of biodiversity used by scientists and organizations around the world. It’s like Pokémon Go but with a real impact on science and nature!

Participation is super easy and fun using the iNaturalist app. Just follow these three simple steps to get started:

1. Go to iNaturalist.ca or use the iNaturalist app to open up a free account. Once you’re registered, find the 2026 City Nature Challenge Canada project.
2. Check to see if your city is registered for the 2026 City Nature Challenge Canada initiative. If so, you’re all set for when the CNC starts – you can also check out the map below the cities list to see the boundaries of where observations will count.
3. If your city is not on the list, look for the City Nature Challenge Canada 2026 non-registered cities project, click through to the project page and click “Join” (in the upper right corner).

Having taken the steps above, all you have to do now is make observations of as many different wild species as you can during the event! Together, we can all contribute to Canada’s total number of observations.

Check in on how your city or your personal tally is doing by checking out the real-time results in the City Nature Challenge Canada project.

See Participating Canadian Cities

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Bragging rights, for one. We have a different climate that sets us apart from more southern areas, so CNC Canada is setting up its own Canada-wide challenge, nested within the international CNC 2026 event. Pick a friendly fight with another Canadian community; you can even put a friendly wager on the table. Any way you look at it, biodiversity wins. Knowing what species are found in each city helps conservationists study and conserve them, and the CNC is a way for scientists, land managers and the community to come together for the common good of documenting nature in the area.

Connect with nature and your community. This is a chance to explore some of the areas in your community and discover biodiversity right outside your door – from the local park to sidewalk edges and your own backyard.

Learn from experts. CNC attracts many experts in a focused attempt to identify everything found during the event. The more species that are identified, the greater the tally grows. If you find something and you don’t know what it is, chances are someone will help identify it for you.

Help Canada accept the challenge! Don’t live in a participating city? Get them involved for next year by talking with your municipality, a local organization or take it on yourself! Contact us to learn what’s involved.

To participate in the CNC event, you need to open your free iNaturalist account by following the steps: