As Earth Day turns 50, celebrations have moved online. The City Nature Challenge is one of those opportunities. (The Great Salt Lake. Photo credit: Brandon Montrone-Pexels)
SALT LAKE CITY — This week marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and this year celebrations have moved online to the City Nature Challenge.
Museums and zoos around Utah are participating in the challenge that takes place from April 24th through the 27th.
The City Nature Challenge began in California but includes an international effort to find and document plants and wildlife in cities around the globe.
Daniela Larsen with the Hutchings Museum in Lehi says anybody can download the app for free.
“You get the iNaturalist app and download it to your phone and go and find the project that we’re doing called “The Wasatch.”
Larsen says that just because kids can’t visit a museum on school field trips this year they can still participate.
“The key thing to keep in mind is that the City Nature Challenge is all about trying to find the wild species in and around metro areas,” the Hutchings Museum says online.
“While we know there are probably many flowers and hedges that have been planted in your area, as well as lots of household pets in your neighborhood, we encourage and challenge you to look for the plants that are growing on their own and the wild organisms that live in and around our houses and yards.”
The Natural History Museum of Utah says that while in years past the City Nature Challenge has been a competition, this year it’s about everyone having the chance to see and enjoy nature.
Exploring nature in and around your home
Utah Museum of Natural History