City Nature Challenge: Baltimore

Thanks to the contributions and observations of local community scientists, City Nature Challenge 2024 was one of Baltimore's best! Collectively, 766 participants made 10,154 observations and identified 1,645 different species living in and around Baltimore, including 818 species of plants, 439 species of insects and arachnids, and 129 species of birds.

City Nature Challenge will return spring 2025—sign up for Conservations News to receive reminders as the date approaches!

Get Nerdy With Nature

City Nature Challenge is an annual community science competition for cities across the globe to find and document the plants and wildlife found in urban areas. As regional coordinator, the National Aquarium is calling on community scientists to explore, identify and document urban wildlife in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Participants will use the free iNaturalist app to record the species they find during the challenge. All observations made in the following counties and uploaded to iNaturalist during the challenge will automatically be counted toward Baltimore's City Nature Challenge totals: Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard and Queen Anne's counties.

The National Aquarium is committed to protecting, enhancing and restoring natural resources for the benefit of all people and wildlife throughout the Baltimore region. Part of that commitment includes knowing which species of wildlife live nearby and the types of habitats they need to thrive.

City Nature Challenge 101

Join us as we review everything you need to know about City Nature Challenge, including a demonstration of how to make an observation in iNaturalist.

If you have questions or your organization is interested in partnering with us, please email conserve@aqua.org.