Thank you to all of you who joined us at Heron Haven for the 2019 City Nature Challenge! It was a fun morning interacting with so many nature enthusiasts from across the area, enjoying the peace and tranquility of nature, and spotting so many amazing plants, animals, and other creatures that live right here in our city. And we can’t wait to share the exciting news from this year’s results.
A Collaborative Event
But first, a big thank you to our community partners for sharing their time and knowledge with everyone throughout the day – and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium for spear-heading the local effort here in Omaha. For the event, we were joined by representatives from Heron Haven, the biology departments from Creighton University, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and College of Saint Mary, Pheasants Forever, the Nebraska Master Naturalists, Audubon Nebraska, and Papio-Missouri River NRD too. It was so rewarding to see over 75 people with all levels of experience – from small children just learning about the natural world to photographers, dedicated bird enthusiasts, and more – pointing out their discoveries and sharing information alongside professional biologists and other members of the local scientific community. The energy was positive and friendly with everyone – professional and amateur alike – bonding over a mutual love of living things.
And a special thanks to Pheasants Forever and all of you who helped plant nearly a hundred native wildflower and grass plugs to create the new Pollinator Meadow at Heron Haven. We can’t wait to watch the meadow grow and support our urban ecosystem.
So, How Did We Do?
Community bonding aside, the City Nature Challenge is also a competition – a chance for cities all over the globe to engage in a friendly race to see who can make the most observations of living things in their urban areas in a three-day period. And out of 159 cities participating, Omaha placed first in the world for research-grade species! At last count, Omaha recorded 1,895 observations of more than 530 species by almost 140 participants – and our group at Heron Haven contributed in a big way to Omaha’s overall total. If you’d like to see how the other cities fared, how many species were found, and how many people participated, check out the City Nature Challenge website.
Let’s Continue the Fun
Our fascination with the natural world doesn’t have to end with this year’s City Nature Challenge. You can continue to use the iNaturalist app to record the plants and animals you spot wherever you go. It’s a great way to learn more about our world and interact with other nature enthusiasts who are as enthusiastic about nature as you are. Plus, your observations contribute valuable information that help scientists develop studies and plans to protect the living things who share our world.
