iNaturalist Meetups
August 1 — Trees
While City Nature Challenge 2026 is in the books, our noticing nature doesn’t have to end there. We heard that participants wanted to iNat throughout the year. Starting in August, we’re hosting monthly themed meetups at public parks and green spaces across our 12-county region. This is your chance to join other naturalists in the field.
Each meetup centers on a specific theme, so we can practice making stronger observations, better photos, better identifications, and more useful data for our region. In August, we start with trees. Join us at Phil Hardberger Park (Blanco Road side) on Saturday, August 1, from 9 to 11am, led by Robert Doyal and Jane Weeden, to walk the park’s trails and observe and document the trees we find. We’ll start with the latest iNat news, then spend about an hour in the field, and wrap up by working through identifications together.
Wear comfortable shoes and bring water, a hat, and sunscreen.
These iNat meetups are open to anyone, no iNaturalist experience needed.
We’re rooting for a good turnout!
2026 City Nature Challenge Results – What Four Days Can Do
Four days. 4,816 species. 1,879 people who stopped to look closer.
Across our 12 counties, observers made 102,653 observations of wild plants, animals, and fungi. Sixty-five percent reached Research Grade. Observers averaged 55 observations each.
That includes 69 at-risk species, 99 species found nowhere else, and 54 Texas Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), identified by Texas Parks and Wildlife as priorities for conservation action.
Every observation is now a permanent record of what was living here, right now, in 2026. Researchers and conservationists will use this data for years to come to understand how species are shifting, what’s thriving, and what needs protecting.
Globally, the 2026 City Nature Challenge brought in more than 3 million observations from 106,354 observers across 754 cities and 61 countries, making it the largest community science event of its kind on the planet.
These numbers reflect the official snapshot taken at midnight on May 10. As more observations are identified, the totals will continue to grow.
Thank you to every observer, identifier, and partner who made this possible.
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.
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.
Our San Antonio Metro Area Region
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.