For the first time, locations in Hungary are joining the biodiversity-focused City Nature Challenge. During the event, which runs from Friday until midnight on Sunday, participants can document the diversity of urban wildlife through outdoor programs.
According to the Centre for Ecological Research, tens of thousands of participants worldwide will take part in documenting urban biodiversity through community science initiatives. The research centre is hosting public events in green urban areas in both Budapest and Debrecen.
From organized biodiversity surveys to documenting wildlife in their own neighborhoods, the City Nature Challenge encourages city residents to explore their surroundings while contributing to biodiversity monitoring and conservation. Participants can also learn to use free mobile applications such as iNaturalist.
Species photographed during the event will be identified later with the help of the online community between April 28 and May 10, with results announced on May 13. Individuals and small groups can both take part in the challenge.
In Debrecen, the program is co-organized by the University of Debrecen’s Biodiversity, Water Management and Climate Change Competence Centre. Participants can join guided walks, including tours in the Nagyerdő forest and the pasture area along Sámsoni Road.
The City Nature Challenge was launched in 2016 by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, initially involving just a thousand observers in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Since then, it has grown into a global event. In 2025, it broke several records, engaging more than 100,000 participants who collected over 2.4 million observations across 669 cities in 62 countries.
According to the organizers, these wildlife observations help conservationists and decision-makers make informed choices to mitigate biodiversity loss.
More information about the programs is available at www.citynaturechallenge.org.
Photo: citynaturechallenge.org/
