Costa Mesans invited to point, click and catalog species during 4-day ‘City Nature Challenge’

Costa Mesa residents interested in documenting local plant and wildlife, wherever it may be — a backyard, park or school playground — can turn cellphone snaps into citizen science during an international City Nature Challenge, running Thursday through May 3.

Hundreds of cities across the globe will participate in the four-day challenge, which began in 2016 as a friendly competition between museum scientists in Los Angeles and San Francisco and has since become an international celebration of biodiversity.

Participants simply download the “iNaturalist” app to their smartphones and then point, click and catalog their photo observations into a database that is sorted by location and species.

The app uses image recognition to make suggestions users can click to confirm and submit. Once a listing has been received, other app users may search by plant, animal or city to see what’s been cataloged in their area’s “bioblitz.”

Scientists with the program will pore through submissions in advance of a May 10 online information release on the observations and findings amassed by citizens in each participating city.

Cynthia D’Agosta, an administrator with Costa Mesa’s Parks & Community Services Department, said Costa Mesans may not be aware of the rich biodiversity that exists in the city. In addition to the 208-acre Fairview Park, the city’s proximity to coastline communities makes it a convenient waystation for migrating birds.

“The objective [of the challenge] is to help people understand our importance, globally and nationally,” she said. “You can do the bioblitz in your backyard, your neighborhood park or wherever you’re walking — you’re going to encounter nature everywhere.”

A Western bluebird pauses on a branch before continuing hunting for bugs at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa, Sept. 16, 2020.

(File Photo)

Data culled from the nature challenge could help wildlife specialists track changing migratory patterns and other behavior modifications. D’Agosta said that information could be especially relevant at the city level.

“It will, No. 1, help identify new species that have not been found in that jurisdiction before,” she said. “It can also tell you whether or not you’ve got a bigger population than you thought you had.”

Despite pandemic conditions, more than 41,000 people in 244 cities around the world participated in last year’s event, making more than 815,000 observations. Among the 32,000 species documented, scientists discovered more than 1,300 rare, endangered or threatened animals.

Costa Mesa city officials invite citizens of any age to participate.

“We’re trying to turn people on to nature,” D’Agosta said. “We want people to get excited.”

For more, visit citynaturechallenge.org.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.