Organisers urge Indians to join City Nature Challenge 2026, log urban wildlife on iNaturalist

Organisers of the City Nature Challenge 2026 are urging people across India to document urban wildlife on the iNaturalist app, part of a global citizen-science push to map biodiversity and build conservation awareness. The campaign, open to all age groups, invites everyone from first-time nature enthusiasts to seasoned naturalists to submit observations of birds, insects, plants and other species.

Officials said participants are required to register online before filing entries. Framed as a worldwide effort to track urban biodiversity, the initiative emphasises the value of citizen science: each recorded observation feeds into a growing database used by researchers and environmentalists.

Organisers said they expect broad participation and encouraged citizens to "join, explore, and inspire" others to connect with nature while contributing to a shared environmental record that highlights India’s role in the global challenge.