We are very excited to be returning to the City Nature Challenge for 2024!
Join us in this friendly global effort to explore biodiversity from April 26 to April 29, 2024! Please join the project and spread the word to your friends and neighbors. During April 29-May 5, upload and identify observations. The collective global results will be announced on May 6.
The City Nature Challenge is globally organized by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Visit www.citynaturechallenge.org for more info.
For this challenge, get out into Bolton's outdoor spaces (which may include your yard) and take pictures to upload as observations to iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-bolton-vt?tab=about). We are interested in collecting observations of any wild species of living thing that lives in Bolton and this year we will be giving prizes for the person who makes the most usable observations and the person who makes usable observations of the most distinct species.
What is a "usable observation"? Glad you asked. For us to be able to use your uploaded observation, it should be a clear photograph or sound recording of a living thing. It should not be a photo or your house plants or cultivated garden plants, nor should they be of domestic animals nor people. In response to requests, we're holding an "office hour" before the event starts with the project coordinator to discuss how to make a good observation.
"And what, exactly are office hours?" Good question. While we encourage you, your family, your neighbors, and everyone you know to spend all four days of the event feverishly making observations in every corner of Bolton to upload to Inaturalist, we have scheduled a block of time each day in different parts of Bolton where you can meet with a naturalist or Forest Steward who will guide your visit.
"Do I have to live in Bolton to participate?" NO! We welcome and encourage friends and visitors to come to Bolton and help us collect data about the biodiversity of Bolton.
Office Hours: Learning How to make a good Observation for INat
Thursday 25 April 6:00- 7:00 pm
57 East Country Club Drive West Bolton
We'll meet in the east side parking lot of the Country Club Condos and talk about how to use iNat to make observations, how to take a photo or sound recording that will make a good observation, and how to upload your findings.
We'll be meeting on flat grass within reach of a wifi network.
Office Hours: Sunset on a Beaver Complex
Friday 26 April 7:00- 9:00 pm
Meet at the parking for Preston Pond, 3644 Notch Road, Bolton
Take a short walk through an area shaped by glaciers, and observe species in a mixed forest and beaver pond habitat. We are almost certain to hear the singing of frogs.
We will be walking off trail, and waterproof shoes are recommended. Every participant MUST be carrying a flashlight or headlamp.
Office Hours: Silver Maple Floodplain Forest
Saturday 27 April 2:00- 4:00 pm
Meet at the Long Trail Parking on route2 in Bolton
Explore a silver maple floodplain forest and make observations while considering this dynamic environment and the challenges of human use on this habitat. We will be walking on and off trail, on mostly level ground.
Office Hours: Wheeler Field
Sunday 28 April 2:00-4:00 pm
Wheeler Field, Corner of Stage and Nashville, Bolton
Come help take inventory of the species in this new park. Observations of plants and animal that live on this parcel will help us to know what's there, and lots of observations will give our data some depth and allow us to learn about species distribution. We will be walking on mostly cleared, nearly level ground.
Office Hours: Preston Pond with host Rob Mullen
Monday 29 April 4:00-6:00 pm
3488 Stage Road, Bolton
Take a walk in the Preston Pond Conservation Area with renowned wildlife artist Rob Mullen. Make observations of the many wild species that call the PPCA home.
This walk starts in Rob's driveway and will move from there mostly on trail on moderate terrain.
May 7, 2024, 8 to 9 AM
Join Retribe Forest School Open House! May 8-10May 8, 9 AM to 12 PM, May 10, 2024
Early Birder Morning WalkMay 12, 2024, 7 to 8:30 AM