Grab your phone, open your camera, and start looking for bugs. Or birds. Or that weird plant you always see but have no idea what it is.

Seattle-Tacoma is back in for the world’s largest bioblitz, kicking off April 25. Around here, spotting an eagle during the afternoon commute or a strange mushroom on the trail isn’t exactly rare. The City Nature Challenge builds on that everyday connection to nature, turning it into a friendly global competition. Now in its 10th year, it includes more than 625 cities across 60 countries, all working to log the most wildlife observations in a few days. 

The challenge began in 2016 as a contest between Los Angeles and San Francisco to track urban biodiversity. Last year’s event brought in over 2.4 million observations and documented more than 65,000 species, thanks to 83,000 participants. And come on, Seattle, we can definitely take them all. 

What’s a bioblitz? It’s a fast-paced species hunt. Just snap photos of anything wild like bugs, animals, or plants and upload them using the free iNaturalist app.

The challenge works in two parts:
April 25-28: Observe. Take photos and upload them.
April 29-May 4: Identify. Help figure out what everyone found.

Last year, we set a regional record with more than 16,000 observations and nearly 2,000 species.

I did a little neighborhood bioblitzing myself and came across a mystery slug and a few cute mushrooms. Proof that even a quick walk can turn up something worth logging.

The challenge is open to anyone in King, Pierce, or Snohomish counties. Local organizers, including Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Northwest Trek and Wildlife Park, and others, are hosting nature walks.

More info here, and find events here.