Diario del proyecto Academy Naturalists

Attention Academy Naturalists!

The 2024 City Nature Challenge is officially LIVE, now through Monday 4/29! Any observations you make during that timeframe will automatically be counted!

Obviously, we here at Academy Naturalists are hoping that you are making those observations within the geographic area for the Philadelphia City Nature Challenge (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-greater-philadelphia-area), but we encourage you to participate wherever you are! There are so many cities participating this year that the CNC organizers needed to split the umbrella project in two:

Here are the North and South America CNC projects: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-north-and-south-america

Here are the Eurasia, Africa and Oceania projects: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-eurasia-africa-oceania

Happy iNatting!
Kathryn Christopher

To set the mood for City Nature Challenge, check out this great post on the Academy's blog, featuring Drexel University student Etienne Falquet! Etienne is an Environmental Science major in Drexel's Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Sciences department, and is a current Academy co-op. He shares why he loves iNaturalist and why everyone should get involved!

https://www.anspblog.org/get-involved-with-inaturalist/

Hello Academy Naturalists!

We are so excited that the 2023 City Nature Challenge begins this Friday, April 28th!

CNC is a friendly global competition where residents of more than 300 cities compete to see who can record the most wildlife. From April 28 to May 1 we’ll be documenting the plants, animals and fungi in cities around the world! The Identification phase runs from May 2nd to May 7th before results are announced on May 8th.

Since the Academy Naturalists group is based in Philadelphia, we are especially interested in bulking up Philadelphia's tallies. That said, we know the Academy Naturalists group boasts members from all over... so we encourage you to participate wherever you are!

Participation is easy: Any observation on iNaturalist, geotagged from anywhere in the designated challenge area (for Philly CNC, it's Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania, and Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties in New Jersey), and time-stamped during the four days of the event, will count towards the tally!

For more info on City Nature Challenge and to follow along, check out these links:

CNC Philly iNaturalist Project Page:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2023-greater-philadelphia-area
See all of the CNC Philly observations, track progress, and help identify others' observations.

Global CNC iNaturalist Project Page:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2023
Track worldwide CNC observations and see how Philadelphia is faring compared to other cities around the world!

CNC Philly Homepage:
www.cncphilly.org
Get additional info about CNC Philly, how to participate, partner organizations, etc.

Global CNC Homepage:
https://citynaturechallenge.org/
Get overall CNC information, history, events, etc.

We are looking forward to seeing your CNC observations roll in!

Cheers,
Kathryn

Greetings Academy Naturalists!

Bug Fest is upon us! As part of the buggy celebrations and activities this upcoming weekend (August 27th and 28th), we are hosting an auditorium show at the museum at 12:30pm each day that features a curated selection of insect and spider submissions submitted to iNaturalist by our Academy Naturalist community. Dr. Jon Gelhaus and I will review and discuss observations ranging from hungry leaf beetles, to paralyzed cicadas and perched butterflies. We will also share how Dr. Gelhaus has used iNaturalist in his scientific work on crane flies.

So, I invite you to continue to upload your invertebrate observations this week for a chance to have your observations featured!

For more information about hours and activities at Bug Fest:
https://ansp.org/programs-and-events/festivals/bug-fest/

Cheers!

Isa Betancourt

Curatorial Assistant of Entomology
at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
&
Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellow

Hello, Academy Naturalists!

Today marks the beginning of Bug Fest at the Academy! Bug Fest is all about those amazing arthropods! Friday through Sunday are packed full with a host of virtual and in-person programs celebrating the wonderful world of insects! Check out the event list and join in the fun: https://ansp.org/programs-and-events/festivals/bug-fest/

To celebrate Bug Fest, we've created a month-long, nation-wide bug survey right here on iNaturalist! Hop on over to the Academy's Bug Fest Bioblitz page and explore the amazing diversity of insects: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/academy-bug-fest-bioblitz Join the project and share your own insect observations throughout August!

Have a great weekend!

Kathryn

After a wild four days of birding, bugging, backyard bioblitzing and all the other ways that nature lovers made observations -- plus another five days of uploads and identifications -- the results are in!

The official Philly CNC Totals at the cut-off time are:

Observations: 19,637
Species: 2,219
Observers: 966

Wow! These numbers are outstanding. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Read more about CNC Philly’s results, and results from around the world, on the CNC Philly project journal, here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-greater-philadelphia-area/journal/51613-the-results-are-in

ACADEMY NATURALISTS CONTRIBUTIONS TO CNC PHILLY

Philadelphia City Nature Challenge 2021 was a success thanks in no small part to the contributions of the Academy Naturalists group, who added 3,875 observations of 934 species to the CNC Philly tally!

You can peruse all the Academy Naturalists’ contributions to CNC Philly with this filtered search: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2021-04-30&d2=2021-05-03&place_id=130542&project_id=academy-naturalists&verifiable=any

IN OTHER NEWS...

Now that City Nature Challenge 2021 is over, we’ve removed the “start date” from the Academy Naturalists group settings. This means that members’ past observations will now be included in the Academy’s virtual collection! Take a look at the map view in the observations tab to see Academy Naturalist observations from all around the world!

Comment below with your favorite!

The 2021 City Nature Challenge begins tomorrow! During the four days of the event, while we’re out making observations of plants and animals we encounter, we will also be keeping a special eye out for a few species in particular... and we want your help! Here are a few native species that we’d love to see in the CNC Philly collection!

Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/424676-Lithobates-kauffeldi
This species occurs in a narrow range along the coastal US between Connecticut and North Carolina.
Where to look: wetlands, marshes, and slow-flowing water.

Eastern Elliptio

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/151576-Elliptio-complanata
This freshwater mussel was once common in Philadelphia creeks, but is now rarely seen.
Where to look: Streambeds of local creeks

Flamed Tigersnail

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/213611-Anguispira-alternata
The most recent Academy record of this snail species is from 1998. There are a few recent observations on iNaturalist, but it is still very rare locally.
Where to look: In wooded areas, near logs, hollow trees, and rocks

Periodical cicadas

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/83854-Magicicada
The adults will not be around during the City Nature Challenge (they are expected to emerge in mid-May), but the nymphal holes and the nymphal cicadas may be evident on the forest floor. You can read all about them on the Academy blog here: https://www.anspblog.org/?s=cicadas
Where to look: The circular burrow openings can be visible in the ground, and nymphs might be visible under protected areas like logs.

Veery

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/12901-Catharus-fuscescens
A native bird of North America, the veery wasn’t observed in the Philadelphia area during last year’s City Nature Challenge. Let’s try to find one this year!
Where to look: forested areas with dense canopy, especially near water sources

Here are a few more native taxa on the Academy's "Most Wanted" List!

Common Five-lined Skink: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/73788-Plestiodon-fasciatus
Fowler's Toad: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/64977-Anaxyrus-fowleri
Queensnake: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/28850-Regina-septemvittata
Slender Walker: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/205841-Pomatiopsis-lapidaria
Sundews: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/51935-Drosera
Northern Flying Squirrel: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/46266-Glaucomys-sabrinus
Falcate Orangetip: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/69844-Anthocharis-midea
Common Pawpaw: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/50897-Asimina-triloba

Happy searching!

Welcome, Academy Naturalists! We are excited for this group to launch on Friday!

It's no coincidence that Friday also marks the start of the 2021 City Nature Challenge!

The CNC is a friendly global competition where residents of more than 300 cities compete to see who can record the most wildlife. From April 30 to May 3, we’ll be documenting the plants, animals and fungi in Philadelphia and surrounding counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Identification phase runs from May 4 to May 9 before results are announced on May 10.

Participation is easy: Any observation on iNaturalist, geotagged from anywhere in the designated area (Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania, and Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties in New Jersey), and time-stamped during the four days of the event, will count towards Philadelphia’s tally!

For more info on City Nature Challenge and to follow along, check out these links:

CNC Philly iNaturalist Project Page:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-greater-philadelphia-area
See all of the CNC Philly observations, track progress, and help identify others' observations.

Global CNC iNaturalist Project Page:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021
Track worldwide CNC observations and see how Philadelphia is faring compared to other cities around the world!

CNC Philly Homepage:
www.cncphilly.org
Get additional info about CNC Philly, how to participate, partner organizations, etc.

Global CNC Homepage:
https://citynaturechallenge.org/
Get overall CNC information, history, events, etc.

When the CNC ends, the Academy Naturalists group will still be a place where the Academy community, including our staff, members and supporters, can connect and explore nature together. We can't wait to see what you add to the Academy's virtual collection!