Date: 22.04.2025
České Budějovice competes in the City Nature Challenge
České Budějovice is taking part for the fourth time in one of the world’s largest citizen science events – the City Nature Challenge. From Friday, April 25 to Monday, April 28, the goal is to document the biodiversity of our planet. Everyone can participate, regardless of age, education, or level of expertise. All it takes is to photograph wild plants, animals, or fungi in your surroundings and upload your observations to the free iNaturalist app. Observations can be made individually or together – the local organizer, the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, is planning three guided nature excursions during the weekend. The event is financially supported by the Statutory City of České Budějovice.
“Our city traditionally performs very well in the City Nature Challenge – we consistently rank in the top third of participating cities in terms of observations, species recorded, and participants. Last year, people in České Budějovice made 2,889 observations and documented 867 species,” says Daniela Procházková, the event coordinator in České Budějovice from the Biology Centre CAS. “We’ve also prepared a great reward for the best individual observers and school groups – in June, the winners will go on a one-day trip to the Milovice Nature Reserve, home to wild horses, bison, and aurochs,” she adds.
How to Join?
It’s very easy to participate. Between Friday and Monday, April 25–28, anyone can take photos or audio recordings of wild plants and animals within České Budějovice and surrounding areas — from Hrdějovice through Libníč, Jivno, Srubec, Roudné, Boršov nad Vltavou to Homole and Branišov. Observations are uploaded to the iNaturalist app, either directly from a mobile phone or via the website. Anyone can do it — even without any scientific knowledge — the app itself suggests what species has been observed. Observations are then verified by the online community of nature enthusiasts.
Nature lovers can also join expert-led excursions:
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Friday, April 25 at 4:00 PM: Hidden Soil Creatures – observing soil arthropods in Rudolfov
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Saturday, April 26 at 9:00 AM: Plants and Insects Along Dobrovodský Stream and Vltava River
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Sunday, April 27 at 9:00 AM: Birds and Insects at Vrbenské Ponds
Excursions will be guided by researchers from the Biology Centre CAS and experts from the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic.
The City Nature Challenge was launched in 2016 by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County. What started with just 1,000 observers in San Francisco and LA has grown into a global initiative. In 2024, the Challenge broke records – over 83,500 participants in 690 cities across 51 countries made more than 2.4 million observations. Since its inception, the Challenge has gathered more than 7.13 million urban biodiversity observations, documented over 94,000 species, and engaged more than 364,000 people.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate 10 years of City Nature Challenge – one of the most impactful community science events in the world,” says Rebecca Johnson, co-founder of the Challenge from the California Academy of Sciences. “City Nature Challenge is not only an amazing opportunity for people all over the world to connect with nearby nature, but the data we collect together is critical for informing conservation decisions—from local to global. Every year, participants document rare and endangered species, newly introduced species, and make important contributions to our understanding of biodiversity.”
This year, six cities in the Czech Republic are taking part: in addition to České Budějovice, also Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Uherské Hradiště, and the Veselsko region.
Global results, including the total number of observations and the most interesting photos, will be announced on Monday, May 5.
Links for sharing:
For more info visit České Budějovice City Nature Challenge website: https://cb.citynaturechallenge.cz/
Global website: https://citynaturechallenge.org/
iNaturalist app: https://www.inaturalist.org/
