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Chicagoland Partners, Host a City Nature Challenge and Identify Wild Species in Our Region
We’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 Chicagoland
All 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 Region
It'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.
Help for Educators and Organizations
Need ideas for engaging people in community science and nature exploration? Check out the iNaturalist Educators' Guide.
Your Data Matters
Knowing 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.
2026 Events
Illinois
Indiana
Global Events
View cities worldwide participating in the City Nature Challenge 2026.
Resources and Links
About the City Nature Challenge
Using iNaturalist
Other Resources
Make an observation on iNaturalist using the mobile app from iNaturalist on Vimeo.
2026 Partners
Questions 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.
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