Global nature challenge for cities to be annual event in Goa

Panaji: This year, nature lovers in Goa will be able to participate in the global event ‘City Nature Challenge’ organised by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum, USA.
The event allows individuals to download an app and record as much biodiversity of all kinds as possible during the four-day period of the challenges. Individuals win global recognition in various categories for the documentation.
The event first came to India in 2018, but the pandemic proved a dampener in the subsequent years. Now, the event this year will see the highest number of up to 30 cities in India taking part in the naturalists and nature lover-driven community documentation of biodiversity.
“This challenge will now be held annually in Goa. This year, it will be held from April 28 to May 1, and there are no restrictions on participation – even a child can take part. The participants have to download the iNaturalist app, create an account and try to document as much biodiversity as possible with photographs,” said Parag Rangnekar, promotor of Mrugaya Xpeditions which is the organising partner for the event.
Rangnekar said that a project has already been created in the app and all documentation efforts carried out by individuals during the four days will be automatically recognised as the City Nature Challenge participation.
“In the case of Goa, because of the smaller area, it is being considered a city for the purpose of the challenge, and biodiversity anywhere in the state can be recorded as part of the challenge. The challenge will help galvanise people and collate data from Goa. We have also requested the Goa State Biodiversity Board to get the village Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) in Goa to participate. It will further help in the people’s biodiversity register prepared by the BMCs,” said Rangnekar.
It is a well-established event in other countries and naturalists in India are working to similarly make it an annual event in India, he said.
“Participation will contribute towards our understanding of biodiversity. In getting your images identified, validated and you will contribute towards creating a database for your locality and the state.