Projektin City Nature Challenge 2024: Abbotsford Päiväkirja

Thank you so much to those of you who came out on a rainy weekend to help us catalogue the biodiversity of our beautiful city of Abbotsford! I was very impressed with how many parks we were able to cover. A very special thank you to the Abbotsford Mission Nature Club and the Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition for setting up their booths in the wind and rain at Willband on Sunday morning!

So how did we do? Here are the collective global results:

Observations: 2,436,844 (up from 1,870,763 in 2023)
Species: 65,682+, including more than 3,940+ rare/endangered/threatened species
Observers: 83,528
Cities participating: 690

And locally, we placed #10 out of the participating Canadian cities with 3376 observations from 22 observers! This is great for a small city like ours! Check it out: https://inaturalist.ca/projects/city-nature-challenge-canada-2024-defi-nature-urbaine Metro Vancouver and Montreal have been battling it out for the top spot, with just a few observations difference! This morning Vancouver was on top, this afternoon it looks like Montreal!

If you made any amazing observations, I'd love to hear about them. Mountain Beaver tunnels were my top observation!

Once again, thank you so much for all your help and I hope you continue using iNaturalist!

The Abbotsford Mission Nature Club members will have their display at the kiosk next to the viewing platform at Willband Creek Park from 11 am until 3 pm on April 28th.

We will be available to share projects and species at the park.

Club members will also be available to lead 30 minute walks at 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm and 2 pm. Meet at the main parking lot on Bateman Road with the iNaturalist app installed on your phone. We will lead you on a thirty minute walk toward the kiosk, teaching you how to use the app and to record your observations. After 30 minutes you can continue on your own or return to the parking lot with the naturalist.

Dress for the weather and wear proper foot wear.

Events in Abbotsford:

April 6: iNaturalist training walk @ Stoney Creek Trail. Meet @ 11 am at the main parking lot for Bateman Park off Bateman Road.

April 27: Bioblitz of city parks with small groups. Meet in front of the Reach Gallery Museum @ 8:30 am

April 28: Willband Creek Park Event: the Abbotsford Mission Nature Club will have a nature display at the kiosk next to the viewing platform from 11 am to 3 pm. Club members will be available to share projects and species at the park. They will also lead 30 minute walks starting at 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, and 2 pm. Meet at the main parking lot off Bateman Road.

*For all events, please have the iNaturalist app downloaded on your phone.

**You are also welcome to make observations in the Abbotsford area on your own or with friends and post them to iNaturalist any time from April 26-29. These will become part of the Abbotsford project as well.

For help with learning to use iNaturalist:
Video Tutorials:
https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/video+tutorials
iNaturalist Training Video by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles & California Academy of Science:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcLYIjIm-4c
How to Use iNaturalist:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DAiupa-ovBs_tnsUROCFuEAE8-J2dLNH/view?usp=sharing
iNaturalist Guide:
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/my-drive?q=parent:0AAPpCFkC54NnUk9PVA
How to use the iNaturalist Mobile App without an Internet connection
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/my-drive