City Nature Challenge 2025 will take place April 25-28—sign up for Conservation 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.
Help Baltimore to Victory
Join us in showcasing Baltimore's natural wonders to the world! Take the pledge, and you will receive instructions on how to participate as well as reminders as challenge dates approach.
Ready, Set, Upload
Step 1: Download the iNaturalist app.
Step 2: Find wildlife and photograph what you find.
Step 3: Share your observations by uploading your pictures to iNaturalist.
New to iNaturalist? Check out the iNaturalist how-to guide or watch an instructional video on making your first observation upload to learn how to use the app.
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.
Exploring Baltimore's Biodiversity
Check out the wildlife people are seeing in and around Baltimore today!
Join an Event
Participate in a City Nature Challenge observation event with one of our partner organizations.
- Americorps - Maryland Conservation Corps
- Anita C. Leight Estuary Center
- Annapolis Friends Meeting
- Anne Arundel County Public Library
- Audubon (Baltimore Program of Audubon Mid-Atlantic, National Audubon Society)
- Baltimore City Public Schools
- Baltimore Green Space
- Baltimore Tree Trust
- Baltimore Underground Science Space (BUGSS)
- Breaking Boundaries Environmental LLC
- Canton Kayak Club
- Carrie Murray Nature Center
- Chesapeake Bay Trust
- City of Westminster
- Cross Country Elementary Middle School Green Team
- Cylburn Arboretum
- Eden Mill Nature Center and Grist Mill Museum
- Friends of Patterson Park
- Friends of Stony Run
- Gunpowder Valley Conservancy
- Howard County Office of Community Sustainability
- Howard County Park Rangers
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
- Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake
- Irvine Nature Center
- Lights Out Baltimore
- Living Classrooms Maritime Education
- Maryland DNR, Wildlife and Heritage Service
- Maryland Master Naturalist Program
- Maryland Trout Unlimited
- Masonville Cove
- National Wildlife Federation
- Natural History Society of Maryland
- NeighborSpace of Baltimore County, Inc.
- Oakland Mills Interfaith
- Outdoor Afro DMV
- Piney Run Park
- Roland Park Elementary Middle School
- SharInNature LLC
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
- St. Casimir Catholic School
- STEMcx
- Stillmeadow Community Fellowship
- Town of Mount Airy
- Towson University
- University of Baltimore
- University of Maryland Extension - Master Gardener
- Waterfront Partnership
City Nature Challenge is organized by:
If you have questions or your organization is interested in partnering with us, please email conserve@aqua.org.
Get Involved Volunteer With Our Conservation Team!
Let's take this outside. Join the National Aquarium as we remove plastic pollution from habitats, plant wetland grasses and native gardens, document local wildlife and more.