If you already love taking photos of wild plants and animals, you’re halfway there. For this challenge, community science (also known as c*science, citizen science or participatory science) is the reporting of data relating to the natural world by the public, with the time and location of each observation also recorded.

First, create an account on one of our nature-reporting partner platforms. iNaturalist is free, easy to use, and connects you with a global community of nature enthusiasts. If you're interested in particular groups of organisms, you can use more specific apps such as eBird or WhaleReport. Once you upload your photos, you will be part of the Big Nature Challenge, helping scientists better understand the biodiversity and wildlife that live in British Columbia. See our Resources page for more tools to get started, and our Events page for organized nature-reporting activities you can participate in!

‍Many of us use time in the outdoors as an escape - a time to get away from our daily routines, get fresh air and connect with nature. For some of us, that means not bringing our phone - no problem! You can still be a community scientist!

On iNaturalist and other apps, you can upload your observations and photos (including batch uploading) when you get back home. This means you can take your digital camera with you on your outdoor adventures and upload your observations later. Even better, if your camera has GPS capabilities, you can track the exact coordinates of each of your observations.

The challenge observation total reflects the total observation counts in BC from iNaturalist, eBird (from the GBIF database), WhaleReport, eButterfly, Bumble Bee Watch, the WiTS nest-observation app, NatureWatch, and Observation.org; and the total numbers of Birds Canada surveys in BC and Community Bat Programs of BC surveys to date.

If you are involved with a community science effort and want to contribute to our observation total, contact us below! 

Tell your friends! Tell your family! Show us your favourite photos on social media by tagging #bcnaturechallenge, share our posts from Instagram and Facebook, and invite your fellow British Columbians to join the campaign. Every sighting counts!

All you need is a phone or camera, preferably GPS enabled. Ensure you have the appropriate clothing and supplies for the terrain you will be in, and always be safe! Please see this FAQ page for eBird-specific questions.
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Some other supplies you may want to bring:
- Field guides
- A macro or telephoto lens for your camera, or a clip-on macros lens for your phone camera
- Spare batteries and/or a portable charger
- Binoculars
- A Global Positioning System (GPS) device or map if your camera is not GPS enabled
- Waterproof notebook and pencil
- Tracking ruler or regular six to twelve-inch ruler

Of course! Through the BC Parks Foundation, you can support community scientists collecting critical data about BC's wildlife and their habitats through a gift. To support this campaign, please visit the donation page on the BC Parks Foundation website and select the Wildlife Forever program.