Pietermaritzburg joins in City Nature Challenge with Midlands team
Pietermaritzburg will join the Midlands team in the 2024 global City Nature Challenge (CNC) that takes place from April 26 to 29.
With its roots tracing back to the United States, the challenge has since become an international affair with its aim of encouraging people around the world to find and document wildlife in their cities.
The four-day challenge is annually set for the end of April globally. The challenge itself is seen as a collaboration-meets-friendly-competition to see what can be accomplished but also which city can gather the most observations of nature and species while engaging with as many people in the event as possible.
Cape Town has been a major contender in the challenge, having won consecutively for three years in the Southern Africa bracket and came third globally in 2023.
iNaturalist, the app that South African participants will be using, said 482 cities participated in 2023 with more than 66 000 participants making 1,9 million observations of nature. It is estimated that this year will be the CNC’s biggest one to date.
Research assistant at the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) Reshmee Brijlal, said that participation is free and open to everyone who was interested - be it the old, young and the in-between.
“The purpose is to showcase both the wide spread of biodiversity as well as promote and encourage science and learning to a greater public,” she said.
The process requires participants to download and register on the iNaturalist app, go into nature between April 26 to 29, and take as many photos of wildlife using the app and lastly upload observations onto the platform where identification is made or left for others to identify.
The manager of CREW, Survarna Parbhoo advised participants to go “bioblitzing” in groups, “even if it’s just two people” as it will be safer when exploring nature.
“Joining an organised bioblitz to a specific site allows one to engage with like-minded people, network [and] learn from each other,” she said. “However, nothing stops you from blitzing your neighbourhood or garden on your own,” she said.
Along with the main challenge, there are also mini competitions such as the eThekwini Municipality’s youth competition.
The KZN National Botanical Garden (SANBI) has also joined in and has partnered with Ferncliffe Nature Reserve with the aim of involving both schools and communities.
“It helps schools to get more involved in environmental education spaces and helps them go beyond just one lesson when they visit our site. It becomes their lifestyle and leads to eco-conscious schools,” said SANBI senior communications officer Mbuso Zondi.