Discover Nature’s True Colors
City Nature Challenge San Antonio Metro Area is part of a worldwide community science effort that invites people to observe, document, and help identify the plants and wildlife living in cities. Using the free iNaturalist app, participants across the San Antonio Metro Area — a 12-county region — contribute observations and identifications that become part of a global dataset supporting science and conservation.
Participating counties: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Gillespie, Goliad, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, Wilson.
Join us April 24–27, 2026, for four days of exploring nature, learning together, and contributing to a global community science event—right here at home.
Countdown to CNC 2026!
Help Us Keep Our Title in 2026!
Intro to City Nature Challenge
How It Works
Go Outside
Explore your backyard, neighborhood, local parks, or other natural areas between April 24–27, 2026.
Find Wildlife
Look for wild plants, animals, fungi, or signs of life—such as tracks, feathers, or sounds—found in and around San Antonio or one of our participating counties.
Take a Photo
Take a photo of what you find—or record its sound—to help with identification.
Share on iNat
Upload your observations to iNaturalist so they count toward the City Nature Challenge. Not sure what it is? That’s okay—others can help identify it.
Don’t have an account? Creating one is free.
Repeat
The more observations you share, the more you contribute to documenting biodiversity across the San Antonio Metro Area.
New to iNaturalist?
iNaturalist is a free app that helps you observe, record, and share the plants, animals, fungi, and other living things you encounter outdoors.
Take a photo or record a sound, add a few notes, and upload your observation. A community of naturalists and scientists can help identify what you found, and your observation becomes part of a global biodiversity database used for research, education, and conservation.
It’s easy to use, welcoming to beginners, and a great way to learn more about the nature around you—whether you’re exploring your backyard or a local park.