What: UNT campus mini bioblitz - An event for University of North Texas students, faculty and staff to get an introduction to the DFW City Nature Challenge

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. April 14 (Friday)

Where: Meet at the soaring eagle statue near the Hurley Administration Building at   UNT

Cost: Free

More Information: Participants should download the iNaturalist app before the event.

DENTON, Texas (UNT) — The University of North Texas will host a free introduction to the City Nature Challenge, followed by a walking mini bioblitz around campus, April 14 (Friday). The event will be hosted by Jill Nugent, a postdoctoral research associate at UNT’s Institute of Applied Science, and Jessica Beckham who serves on the SciStarter citizen science team. 

This year the Dallas/Fort Worth area will compete against 15 other metropolitan areas April 14-18 (Friday-Tuesday) in the City Nature Challenge to see which area has the most citizen scientists and most species.

It’s easy to participate: Simply take a photo of a plant or animal and post it to iNaturalist, and the online community will help to accurately identify the species. Any observation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will count during the five-day challenge. Explore life on the UNT campus, in your backyard, your local park and more. The collective data will help document biological diversity, the presence of invasive species, and changes in species distribution.

One of the products from the DFW area City Nature Challenge will be an updated species guide for our region. By participating in the City Nature Challenge, you will be contributing to science and will add to the knowledgebase of biodiversity in North Texas. You might also be able to observe and document one of UNT’s beloved albino squirrels!