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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 events to socialize and fill in species' details on iNaturalist:
*ID the Birds and the Bees
6PM-8PM on Wednesday, May 6
Location: District Brew Yards, 417 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago 60622
21+ only Adults event
Help identify Chicagoland City Nature Challenge iNaturalist observations, and hang out with other citizen scientists! We'll gather at District Brew Yards with other citizen scientists, get a quick tutorial on how to use the great iNaturalist website, and then hang out enjoying the local brew while marking observations that occurred over the past weekend. Register here: https://ISCandCNC2026.eventbrite.com
*City Nature Challenge ID Event @ the Field Museum
10 AM-12:30 PM on Friday, May 8
Location: Field Museum, 1400 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
Registration required by April 30
Join Field Museum scientists in a relaxed, session where we will click-and-clack through iNaturalist observations. After the co-working time, guests will be given a behind the scenes tour. Open to individuals who are hobby or professional naturalists. Adults only. Participants might be placed on a waitlist if capacity is reached.
 
2026 Events Illinois- 4/24/2026
10:00 AM-12:00 PM CST
Eggers Grove Bio Blitz
Location: Comfort Station at Eggers Grove: 11251-11249 S Ave B, Chicago, IL 60617
Join us at Eggers Grove to explore all the Spring plants and animals in this beautiful ecosystem. Participants will learn how to use the inaturalist app to track their observations and participate in the City Nature Challenge. This event is open to all. Check Friends of the Forest Preserves for registration or email joy@fotfp.org with questions.
- 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
9:00 AM-10:00 AM
Earth Week: City Nature Challenge at Lake Ellyn Park
Location: Lake Ellyn Park, 645 Lenox Road, Glen Ellyn; meet in front of the Boat House
Celebrate Earth Week by participating in the City Nature Challenge. By using the iNaturalist app on your smartphone or tablet to take photos of plants and wildlife, you will contribute to studies of the diverse life in our region. Children are encouraged to attend to hunt for nature-themed clues along the trail in order to unlock a treausre chest. Under age 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Free with registration. Register online.
- 4/25/2026
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.
- 4/25/2026
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. Adults only. 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.
- 4/25/2026
11:00 AM-12:00 PM CST
Earth Week: City Nature Challenge
Location: Churchill Park, 271 St. Charles Road, Glen Ellyn; meet at the picnic shelter west of the parking lot
Celebrate Earth Week by participating in the City Nature Challenge. By using the iNaturalist app on your smartphone or tablet to take photos of plants and wildlife, you will contirbute to studies of the diverse life in our region. Children are encouraged to attend to hunt for nature-themed clues along the trail in order to unlock a treasure chest. Under age 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Open to the public. Register for this free event.
- 4/25/2026
1:00 PM-3:00 PM CST
Wolf Road Prairie Volunteer Workday
Location: Franzosenbusch Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Ave, Westchester, IL
Wolf Road Prairie Volunteer Workday. Please join us to document the native species at Wolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve. We will do ecosystem restoration and look for native species to add to the challenge. Anyone can attend. Email Mary Zaander at mjzaander@gmail.com with questions.
- 4/25/2026
1:00 PM-2:00 PM CST
BioBlitz at Kilbourn Park Greenhouse
Location: 3501 N. Kilbourn Ave. Chicago IL. 60641
Join us for a BioBlitz where you can take part in being a citizen scientist. We will walk through the garden and learn of the different plant species and there’s an option to join in on the record keeping of the plants within the garden and surrounding park. If you wish to participate in the data collecting, you will need a smartphone and the ability to download the iNaturalist app. You do not need to know plants to participate, and we hope you leave with a better ability to id plants on your own, or at the very least leave more appreciative of nature. Email the greenhouse if you have any questions at KilbournGreenhouse@chicagoparkdistrict.com.
- 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.
- 5/6/2026
ID the Birds and the Bees
6PM-8PM CST
Location: District Brew Yards, 417 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago 60622
21+ only Adults event
Help identify Chicagoland City Nature Challenge iNaturalist observations, and hang out with other citizen scientists! We'll gather at District Brew Yards with other citizen scientists, get a quick tutorial on how to use the great iNaturalist website, and then hang out enjoying the local brew while marking observations that occurred over the past weekend. Register here: https://ISCandCNC2026.eventbrite.com
- 5/8/2026
City Nature Challenge ID Event @ the Field Museum
10 AM-12:30 PM
Location: Field Museum, 1400 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605
Registration required by April 30
Join Field Museum scientists in a relaxed, session where we will click-and-clack through iNaturalist observations. After the co-working time, guests will be given a behind the scenes tour. Open to individuals who are hobby or professional naturalists. Participants might be placed on a waitlist if capacity is reached.
Indiana- 4/25/2026
11:00 AM-2:00 PM CST
Munster's Annual Earth Day Celebration 2026: Our Community and Those Who Will Inherit It
Location: Heritage Park, Munster, Lake County, Indiana
Open to children, teens, families, adults, and seniors. The event is free and there is no registration needed.
- 4/26/2026
2:00 PM-4:00 PM CST
Nature Walk at Fred Rose Park
Location: 400 Lakeshore Drive, Hobart, IN; meet in the parking lot where this street dead ends
Guided nature walk in a biodiverse native silt loam oak savanna habitat, regularly burned. This is a high floristic quality site, around 68 with some Indiana DNR threatened plant species and red headed woodpeckers. Open to the public for all ages to attend. Fairly level with an asphalt trail loop through the natural area for ADA use. Register via email or text to ecorealm@msn.com or 219-743-0679.
WisconsinGlobal 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.
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