GEORGE NEWS - The annual City Nature Challenge (CNC) will run this week from 25 to 28 April. In this annual global event, cities (like George!) use the iNaturalist application to document urban wildlife. 

Through friendly competition, participants aim to record the most observations, identify the most species and engage the highest number of people, fostering collaboration and a shared passion for nature.

Simply go out into nature and capture what you see:

1. Download the iNaturalist app on your smartphone and sign up
2. Switch off your data and switch on your location.
3. Take good photos of any living or dead organism, or evidence of organisms (plants, animals, fungi, seaweed, lichen, shells, tracks, scat, feathers, etc.) that you see in your garden, around your home, in your neighbourhood, park, beach, reserve, etc.
4. Upload your observations at the end of your outing when you have sufficient WiFi or data coverage.
5. Mark plants of organisms that are cultivated (e.g. in gardens, pots of on farms) or captive (e.g. pets, zoo animals) as 'captive/cultivated'. This ensures accurate biodiversity data and supports research.
6. Check back to see what people say about your observations.

Tips for capturing great photos:
• Ensure photos are clear and show key features of the organism. Use zoom and focus for close-ups.
• Position the sun behind you for optimal lighting.
• Don't forget nighttime activity. Look for moths, spiders and frogs around your home and garden.
• For plants or trees, capture bark, branches, leaves (upper and lower surfaces), flowers and fruit. Include the entire plant, not just the flowers.
• For insects or critters, use burst mode for fast-moving insects. Early mornings or evenings are best.

For more information, go to www.inaturalist.org or visit their Facebook page.

To capture images of insects, early mornings or evenings are best. Photo: Pixabay‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’