The City Nature Challenge is a global competition between cities to document biodiversity in regions around the world, taking place April 25-28. Ranger Nikki will lead a hike with stops along the way to take phone photos of flowers, trees, cacti, birds, bugs, fungi and more to boost the number of observations for Team Phoenix. The route is a 3-mile loop using North Trail on terrain that is mostly level but has a few areas that are rocky and uneven. You can prepare for this hike by downloading the free iNaturalist app at home on wi-fi and registering your account before you come to the park. For more information about the City Nature Challenge visit https://www.citynaturechallenge.org/ and for iNaturalist visit https://www.inaturalist.org/ . Wear closed-toe shoes and bring snacks and plenty of water. Be sure to bring your phone fully charged to take photos. You can upload photos to the app later at home. Water and restrooms are available at the trailhead.
MEETING LOCATION: North Trail, approximately a 10-minute drive from the Entry Station
Map of Meeting Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HdUc3LbDpS8oQbvH7
Limit 15 participants. To register, please call the McDowell Nature Center at (602) 506-2930 ext. 3 with your name, phone number and number of people attending. If you find you cannot attend a program after you have registered, please call the Nature Center ASAP so we may contact those on the waiting list. Registration for this program will close on 4/24/25.
This event is part of Citizen Science Month, in which participating in community science, like through iNaturalist on this hike with us, is a part of a global goal of collecting One Million Acts of Science to further research. You can learn more about the global effort on citizensciencemonth.org.