The 2017 City Nature Challenge was a multi-city, multi-day (April 14 – 18, 2017) bioblitz where multiple urban areas try to observe the most species. 16 urban areas around the country participated, and nationally, 4300 people made 126,000 observations of 8600 species! In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex,  518 people made 24,177 observations of 2,271 species.  We led the nation in number of observations and were in the top three for most other metrics.

Participants of the city nature challenge went out to document living organisms anywhere in Dallas/Fort Worth (9 counties) during this time period. Many participants attended public bioblitzes or nature events at public parks. All observations were uploaded to the citizen science website iNaturalist by use of the smart phone app or by photograph and direct website upload. 

Tremendous biodiversity was documented during this time period in the urban environment of Dallas-Fort Worth. 2,271 species of plants, animals, and fungi have been recorded on this digital database at iNaturalist for anyone to examine. Species lists for specific parks have been generated with this data. Park boards and city councils have recognized that not only is diversity here in the metroplex, but that there is a constituency of naturalists that actively seek out areas with high biodiversity.  That are management implications to this data as well – populations of unique and uncommon species have been recorded and can guide habitat management.

The community made this event massively successful. Participants included Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Native Plant Society of Texas, Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area, Friends of O.S. Gray Natural Area other North Texas environmental nonprofits and volunteers. 518 citizen scientists and naturalists documented all of our natural neighbors. Many people learned the names for this plants and bugs for the first time! Also, the bioblitzes at public parks were community events – one in particular in Midlothian had 75 participants to observe moths!