Hey all!
Hope you are all doing well and that you/your families are stay healthy and safe during this unprecedented time. I wanted to ask a huge favor of you, as I know you are some most enthusiastic iNat users out there.
Since this year’s City Nature Challenge is no longer a challenge, our efforts have focused to engage users with their immediate surroundings: outside their front doors, in their yard, or anywhere nature is found which they can safely and responsibly explore while complying with social distancing and stay-at-home orders where they live. It’s also a great opportunity for us to fill some data gaps!
That is why we need YOUR help! The TPWD Conservation Outreach Team is asking for me to reach out to some of our most engaged iNaturalist users in TX and ask them to share their City Nature Challenge experience.
Here are a few asks during and/or leading up to the City Nature Challenge (April 24-27):
This post should be about how you are engaging with nature close to home during this CNC. You can answer some of the following questions:
o What are some of your favorite things to observe in your neighborhood?
o What are some species you never would have thought you’d find there?
o Where are some of your favorite local places to go? Why?
o Why do you think neighborhood nature is relevant for all community members?
o How has neighborhood/backyard nature helped you or your family deal with COVID?
Tag the Texas Nature Trackers Program in your post:
o Facebook/Instagram handle: @texasnaturetrackers
We hope this engagement campaign will encourage others across the state and globe to get out and find what’s been hiding right under their nose all along!
Most importantly, we are stressing that all participants strictly adhere to federal, state, and local public health guidelines as they are updated in real time in response to COVID-19. Please do what you can to make sure you adhere to these guidelines during the event.
Let me know if you’re interested in helping out with this. Can’t wait to see what we all find this year!
Comments
@annikaml @kimberlietx @walkingstick2 @wildcarrot @brentano @charley @connlindajo @cgritz @tadamcochran @anewman @lovebirder @eric_keith @mikef451 @oddfitz @philipwoodscc @jciv @galactic_bug_man @lisa281 @bosqueaaron @cmeckerman @kalamurphyking @jblinde @hydaticus @mchlfx @laurenjansensimpson @alisonnorthup @rick57 @bcfl14 @madisong @k8thegr8 @sherylsr @kathrynwells333 @donovanmoxley @rehb
Will do, Sam!
You bet!
I want to help!
Excellent! Will do, Sam :)
Roger that.
I just shared iNaturalist videos and the City Nature Challenge link with my former environmental science students in Indianapolis earlier today - we're on the same wavelength yet again! Will plan to share out some of my porch bugs this week/weekend in San Antonio, thanks for the suggestion.
Will do, Sam!
yes!
Will do, Sam!
Will do!
I'm going to do what I can Sam! I will communicate with my chapter about working their neighborhoods and local parks within the boundaries of safe distancing. I have communicated before to them, all of this CNC, but I know some have not yet joined the CNC not challenge. I see that the state parks are open with reservations ahead of time, masks adorned, and I will make this known.
See you all on the other side!
Awesome!!! Thanks so much everybody! Again, the point of ALL of this is to get folks to recognize that there is nature everywhere, even in the urban environment. It’s just waiting for us to appreciate it! :)
I am outside the boundaries for participation but planning to log significant time helping make IDs!
I also am out of the boundaries and will be busy with family (grandkids) this Friday to Sunday, but they already know to have their cameras with them to take nature photos. They know I am an iNat addict. Will try to help later with IDs but not to the marathon extent I did last year. Thanks for the tag, Sam.
I have been noticing a lot of publicity from several sectors on the CNC this year. Awesome to see the interest!
Will do Sam. @vadalton , @jdjames , @txstack
Thanks for the ideas, Sam. We’ll share with the chapter.
Sure thing! Excited to get started tomorrow!!
Made a post in facebook, my neighborhood boards and of course I am gearing up my biology classes to participate.
will do!
04-23-2020 4:20 pm CST in Texas. Just checked the stats on the CNC 2020. It is happening! 187 observations, 109 species, 34 observers and 30 identifiers. Come on midnight!
I'll be observing for Delaware this year 😬Staying here for a few months to take care of family. I'd certainly still be willing to participate with the social media stuff as I'll be BioBlitzing my mom's backyard like crazy, if it's okay that I'm in another state...
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