APRIL 24 - 27, 2026
The City Nature Challenge is a global event designed to get people outside, engaging with nature and helping to make iNaturalist observations. We will be hosting a variety of guided nature walks around London to give participants the chance to explore nature in our area and learn from knowledgeable naturalists. No prior experience is required. Just download the iNaturalist app, create your free account and we can teach you how to use it.
Upcoming City Nature Challenge Events
Wednesday April 22nd
WEBINAR
Biodiversity: Community Action and the Role of Gardens
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Guest Lorraine Johnson
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7:00PM - 8:00PM
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ZOOM (Sign up for link)
London CNC kicks off with a webinar with guest Lorraine Johnson, renowned writer, editor and community advocate who, when pressed to describe what unifies her work, has settled on the term cultivation activist. She'll speak about how local efforts can make a positive difference to biodiversity.
Join us on a group iNaturalist Bioblitz or on a Guided Nature Walk to learn about biodiversity in London from knowledgeable naturalists!
Guided Walks: Each of our walks are lead by passionate naturalists that will share their knowledge along the way. We will also take photos of the different species that we see and upload them onto iNaturalist.
Bioblitzes: During these events, the guides will help teach you how to explore an area to find all kinds of diversity that you never knew was all around you! These events are more focused on exploring. We will make iNat observations and the guides will share information about some of the interesting species that we find along the way.
All of our events are for anybody - no prior knowledge or experience is required!
Please download iNaturalist in advance and create your account to be ready to participate.
We will have helpers 15 minutes early for each event so if you would like help getting started then arrive early and we are happy to show you how to use the app!
Friday April 24th
Early Signs of Spring Wildlife
(Guided Walk)
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Hosted by Hiking with Kathleen
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9:00AM - 11:00AM
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Medway Valley Heritage Forest
Exploring Western's Biodiversity (Bioblitz)
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Hosted by Biodiversity Inventory at Western
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1:00PM - 3:30PM
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Thames River
Bioblitz Bingo
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Especially fun for kids!
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5:00PM - 7:00PM
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Museum of Archaeology
Evening Spring Walk (Guided Walk)
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7:30PM - 9:30PM
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Kilally Meadows ESA
Saturday April 25th
Family Nature Walk (Guided Walk)
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Hosted by UTRCA, Friends of Medway Creek & Museum of Archaeology
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9:30AM - 11:00AM
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Medway Valley Heritage Forest (Snake Creek)
Buds and Bugs Discovery Bioblitz
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Hosted by Friends of Urban Ag
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10:00AM - 12:00PM
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Highbury Wetlands
Spring Wildflowers and Forest Ecology
(Guided Walk)
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2:00PM - 4:00PM
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Meadowlily Woods
Bugs and Migratory Birds (Guided Walk)
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5:00PM - 7:00PM
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Kilally Meadows ESA
Nocturnal Insect Bioblitz
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9:00PM - 11:00PM
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Western University
Spring Migratory Songbirds and Waterfowl
(Guided Walk)
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9:00AM - 11:00AM
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Greenway Park
Spring Mushrooms and Forest Ecology (Guided Walk)
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12:00PM - 2:00PM
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Westminster Ponds (Behind Tourism London)
Bug Bioblitz
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2:30PM - 4:30PM
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The Coves
Garden Escapees: Mapping Introduced Horticultural Plants (Guided Walk)
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Hosted by Old North East Neighbourhood Association
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5:00PM - 7:00PM
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Kilally Meadows ESA
Sunday April 26th
Monday April 27th
Birds and Flowers (Guided Walk)
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Hosted by Biodiversity Inventory at Western
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9:30AM - 11:30AM
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Baldwin Flats
Creek Exploration Bioblitz
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Hosted by Upper Thames River Conservation Authority
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5:30PM - 7:00PM
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Fanshawe Conservation Area
How To Participate in the City Nature Challenge
1) 📱RECORD OBSERVATIONS | April 24–27, 2026
Explore nature from wherever you are in the London by finding wild species close to home. Even watching birds from your window is helpful!
Record observations by taking a picture or recording a sound of what you find and uploading it to iNaturalist, making note of the location. Observations submitted to iNaturalist between April 24-27 will be included in the challenge.
Be aware of human and wildlife safety at all times and explore natural areas responsibly with ethical wildlife photography.
To support biodiversity research, focus on insects, birds, weeds, and other wild plants, animals and fungi (rather than cultivated species like garden flowers or pets).
Check the City Nature Challenge 2026: London, ON project for updates on what species have been found around the city.
You don't need to have any prior knowledge about nature in order to participate. iNaturalist will help identify the species in your photo and the iNaturalist community will help verify that it's correct. Check out these guides on how to use iNaturalist.
You can look for wildlife in your own backyard, in green spaces, or head to one of London's Environmentally Significant Areas. Observations anywhere in the City of London boundaries will count in the challenge.
Keep an eye open for flowers, lichens, trees, birds, mammals. You may even see some butterflies, bees and other insects!
2) 🔍 HELP IDENTIFY | April 28–May 10, 2026
Can you recognize some of the species we see around London? If so, you can help confirm iNaturalist IDs for what was found -- for your own observations and others’!
Log into iNaturalist and review the observations made over the weekend.
School, Community and Family Groups
Teachers, volunteers, and youth aged 13+ can participate in the City Nature Challenge on their own. There are resources and activity guides from iNaturalist and City Nature Challenge, as well as our Using the iNaturalist App page which we are always adding to!
Results
Last year in London we had 5,129 observations, 800 different species identified, and over 600 participants!
View 2025 results from London, Canada and all over the world. Over 3.3 million global observations of 73,000+ species were shared. More than 100,000 people took part!.
This year's results will be published May 4, 2026. You can follow us at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-london-on