|
Chicagoland Partners, Host a City Nature Challenge and Identify Wild Species in Our RegionWe’re looking for organizations from nonprofits to nature centers and more! Join the global party and host a City Nature Challenge: Chicagoland Region event anytime from Friday, April 24 to Monday, April 27, 2026. It can be as simple or as complex as you want. Already planning stewardship or volunteer activities in the spring? Want a reason to host a hike, bird walk, or other adventure for kids or adults? Host your event, encourage people to look for wildlife, and upload sightings to the City Nature Challenge Chicagoland Region iNaturalist page. Learn about the global City Nature Challenge where cities around the world collaborate to share observations of nature. This year's focus is quality additions of wild species to iNaturalist. 
Eligible Counties in ChicagolandAll observations in the following counties count for the challenge and are automatically added to the Chicagoland Region project. - Illinois: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will
- Indiana: Jasper, Lake, Newton, Porter
- Wisconsin: Kenosha
Be Part of the City Nature Challenge: Chicagoland RegionIt's easy! - Add your Chicagoland Region event to this spreadsheet or at the "Add your Chicagoland Region event" button below by April 10. Don't forget to include RSVP information if necessary.
- Join the Chicagoland Region project on iNaturalist here or at the "Join the iNaturalist Chicagoland Region project" button below.
- Host your event anytime from April 24 to April 27, then upload your community's observations of wild species to our project on iNaturalist. "Wild" means that it wasn’t put there, and is not being taken care of by people.
- Finish uploading observations to iNaturalist by May 10. The global results of the City Nature Challenge will be announced on May 13, 2026.
- (Optional) Join our in-person identification event at 6pm on Wednesday, May 6 at District Brew Yards in Chicago to socialize and fill in species' details on iNaturalist.
- Want to do more? Join the City Nature Challenge: Chicagoland Region planning team. All levels of expertise are welcome. Fill out this form to be added to the planning team, which meets the second Monday of each month at 1pm CST. We discuss logistics, brainstorm challenge ideas, and support participating organizations in our region.
 
Join us online: Cafe on April 6, 1pm CSTObsessed with Observations: Become an iNaturalist Super UserReady to start seeing the natural world in a whole new way? During this cafe you’ll learn how to up your skills as a naturalist and community scientist by developing a keener eye for spotting the unusual, the tiny, and the unexpected in the urban environment. Learn how to use iNaturalist – a widely used app and website that allows anyone to document the living world around them – to not just help you identify new discoveries, but to make meaningful observations of the incredible diversity of plants, animals and fungi in a way that contributes to science. In preparation for the Chicagoland City Nature Challenge, local researchers and iNaturalist super observers from the Field Museum and University of Chicago will offer tips for finding more species, recognizing overlooked organisms, and documenting observations in ways that can help others identify them.
Presenters:
Will Yaegar, University of Chicago
Jing-Yi Lu, Field Museum
Nicole Machuca, Field Museum 
2026 Events Illinois- 4/24/2026
1 PM-2:30 PM CST
Intro to iNaturalist & Nature Walk
Location: Hennen Conservation Area, 4622 Dean Street, Woodstock, IL 60098
Have you wanted to learn how to use iNaturalist to record your wildlife sightings? We can help! TLC is participating in the City Nature Challenge and we want you to join us on this citizen-science adventure. We will be looking primarily at willows in bloom to find early bumblebees and other insects visiting them. We will help you identify what we see and show you how to use iNaturalist so you can start contributing your own sightings. City Nature Challenge is an annual, worldwide citizen science project and competition between cities/regions that utilizes iNaturalist to document life and the natural world. Open to the public. Children, Teens, Families, Adults, Seniors. RSVP required. Register online.
- 4/25/2026
7:30 AM-9:00 AM CST
Morning Bird Stroll
Location: Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, 9800 South Willow Springs Road, Willow Springs, IL 60480
Join us for a slow trail walk to spot migrating birds. Limited binoculars available for loan. Parking is available onsite. Open to the public. Children, Teens, Families, Adults, Seniors. Registration not required We have some binoculars for loan, but only a limited amount. If possible, we recommend bringing your own binoculars.
- 4/25/2026
10:00 AM-12:30 PM CST
City Nature Challenge @ The Field Museum's Rice Native Gardens
Location: 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
Join ecologists from the Field Museum's Keller Science Action Center for a very special City Nature Challenge event. Guests will be given a behind-the-scenes tour of the Field Museum's world renowned birds collection, where over 500,000 bird specimens from around the world are housed. Attendees will be trained on how to use the iNaturalist app and visit the Rice Native Gardens, the Museum's largest (and free) exhibit, where they will be given a quick tour before being invited to search for critters and submit observations to iNaturalist as part of the Chicagoland City Nature Challenge. The garden will not be in full bloom, but there will be critters around and some newly emerged pollinators rely on spring bloomers. Let's see what we can find! The event will run rain or shine. Online registration is required by Monday, April 20.
- 4/25/2026
11:00 AM-12:30 PM CST
Nature in Your Backyard: Pullman National Historical Park
Location: 610 E 111th St. Chicago, IL
Take an interactive walk through Pullman National Historical Park to discover the mosaic of flora and fauna that call this park home. Join us the following day (April 26 from 1:00PM-2:30PM) for our identification party. Learn from experts on how to identify plants and animals in your own community! Children, Teens, Families, Adults, Seniors. Email PULL_visitorinfo@nps.gov or call 773-928-7257 for more info.
- 4/26/2026
9:00 AM-5:00 PM CST
Party for the Planet, Celebrate Earth Day with Randall Oaks Zoo!
Location: 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee, Kane County, IL
Join us for a day of nature, discovery and fun as we celebrate our amazing planet! Bring your family and friends to enjoy hands-on activities, outdoor adventures, and lots of animal interactions. All Day: Build Your Own Birdfeeder Craft - Get creative and give back to our feathered friends! Make and decorate your very own birdfeeder using eco-friendly materials to take home. Nature Scavenger Hunt - Grab a checklist and set off to explore - can you spot all the treasures Mother Nature has to offer? This interactive hunt is fun for all ages! Play a Recycling Game - Test your eco-smarts in a fast-paced recycling challenge! Sort, race and learn how to make everyday choices that help the planet! 11:30am - Storytime in World of Wonders - Gather for an enchanting book reading just for kids! We'll share a nature-themed story that will spark imagination and inspire young environmentalists. 1:30pm - Naturalist-led hike: Join our expert naturalist for a guided hike through the Randall Oaks Park, where you'll learn how to utilize iNaturalist, to identify native plants, animals and fungus! Discover the wonders of our ecosystem and see the environment through a new lens! Zoo admission rates apply. Children, Teens, Families, Adults, Seniors. More info online or contact Jules Farino at judoni@dtpd.org or 847-551-4310 X 5006 for additional information.
- 4/26/2026
10:00 AM- 11:30 AM CST
City Nature Challenge Bioblitz
Location: Irish Oaks Savanna, 19020 Lincoln Rd, Harvard, IL 60033
Are you interested in learning about the different plant and animal life found in McHenry County? Have you wanted to learn how to use iNaturalist to record your wildlife sightings? This is the event for you! TLC is participating in the City Nature Challenge and we want you to join us on this citizen-science adventure. We will look for every plant, bird, insect, mammal, etc. we can find while helping you identify what we see and show you how to use iNaturalist so you can start contributing your own sightings. Open to the public. Children, Teens, Families, Adults, Seniors. RSVP required. Register for this free event online.
- 4/26/2026
1:00 PM-2:00 PM CST
Spring Ephemeral Walk: U of I Extension Master Naturalists of DuPage, Kane & Kendall Counties
Location: Plano, Illinois
Learn to identify spring ephemerals. Not open to the public, by registration only for U of I Extension Volunteers. Email the organizer: Sarah Fellerer, fellerer@illinois.edu to RSVP.
- 4/26/2026
1:30 PM-2:30 PM CST
Wildflower Walk
Location: River Trail Nature Center, 3120 N Milwaukee Ave, Northbrook, IL 60062
Learn about spring woodland wildflowers on a casual walk. Species identified will be reported to iNaturalist for this project. All ages. Meet at Visitor Center. Registration required, call (847) 824-8360.
- 4/27/2026
10:30 AM-12:30 PM CST
Osterman Beach Natural Area Stewardship
Location: Kathy Osterman Beach Dunes (also known as Hollywood/Ardmore), south of the Osterman Beach House, 5800 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60660
Join friends and neighbors to help clean up and restore the natural area at Kathy Osterman Beach Dunes (also known as Hollywood/Ardmore).Children, Teens, Families, Adults. RSVP required. More information and RSVP.
IndianaGlobal EventsView cities worldwide participating in the City Nature Challenge 2026. 
Help for Educators and OrganizationsNeed ideas for engaging people in community science and nature exploration? Check out the iNaturalist Educators' Guide. Your Data MattersKnowing what species are in our city and where they are helps us study and protect them, but the only way to do that is by all of us–scientists, land managers, and the community–working together to find and document the nature in our area. 
Resources and LinksAbout the City Nature Challenge Using iNaturalist
Other Resources Make an observation on iNaturalist using the mobile app from iNaturalist on Vimeo. 2026 PartnersQuestions or to join the partners of the City Nature Challenge:Chicagoland Region, contact Taran Lichtenberger, Community Science Programs Manager, Chicago Botanic Gardens. Questions or comments about the global City Nature Challenge can be directed to the international organizers.
|
Print Page
