CWRU Farm Biodiversity Challenge
Please join us for the University Farm iNaturalist BioBlitz on Saturday, April 29th!
The University Farm is a 400-acre property owned and managed by Case Western Reserve University. The University Farm is the site of many educational, research, and community events that benefit the entire CWRU community. A diversity of habitats can be found at the University Farm, including forests, meadows, agricultural areas, streams, ponds and vernal pools. To document biodiversity and seasonal change, we have created a project using the popular citizen-science app iNaturalist. The CWRU Farm Biodiversity Project currently includes over 5,000 unique observations composed of over 1,000 species. The CWRU Community is invited to join us on Saturday, April 29th to add to the CWRU Farm Biodiversity Project as part of the 2023 City Nature Challenge.
What is the City Nature Challenge?
The City Nature Challenge is a fun, multi-day challenge in which participants around the world try to document as many wild plants, animals, and fungi as they can. Participating cities will be scored on (1) total number of observations, (2) total number of species, and (3) number of people who participated. All of the observations made during the University Farm Biodiversity Challenge on April 29th will automatically be added to Cleveland's total.
How do you participate in the City Nature Challenge at the CWRU Farm?
The event will run from 12:30 pm to 5pm on Saturday 29 April 2022 at the CWRU Farm. To participate, please use this link to RSVP by Wednesday 26 April. If you are a CWRU undergraduate student, bus transportation is available between campus and the farm. Shuttle transportation will leave campus at noon and arrive about 12:35pm. To return to campus, the shuttle will leave the farm at 5pm, and be back on campus about 5:45 pm. There are a limited number of seats available on the shuttle. Once you have sent in your RSVP, we will provide more information on where to meet when you arrive at the farm.
Before attending the University Farm Biodiversity Challenge, you should register for an account at iNaturalist.org, join the CWRU Farm Biodiversity Project, and install the free app on your phone. We will show you how to use the app at the farm.
What should I wear and bring to the CWRU Farm for the City Nature Challenge?
Wear clothing appropriate for the weather. This could include a rainjacket and warm clothes. The average high temperature for late April is 64⁰ F (18⁰ C), and the average low is 43⁰ F (7⁰ C). We will likely be walking on muddy trails, near streams, or around ponds, so good footwear like hiking or rain boots would be helpful. We also recommend bringing water to drink and a snack.
What if I don't know how to identify plants, animals, or fungi at the University Farm?
Don't worry! Once you have uploaded photos to iNaturalist, an online community of naturalists will help identify your observations. Additionally, iNaturalist has an automated program that suggests likely identifications for your photos.
Will using iNaturalist use up all my data?
You can adjust the settings on the iNaturalist app so that it only uploads your observations when you are connected to a WiFi network.
Does iNaturalist reveal the locations of observations?
For the CWRU Farm Biodiversity Project, we require that participants use the "obscured" option for their observations. This prevents unauthorized people from identifying exactly where each observation was made.
Links with more information:
CWRU Farm iNaturalist Biodiversity Project
Information on the Cleveland City Nature Challenge through iNaturalist
