If you already love taking photos of wild plants and animals, you’re halfway there. Citizen science (also known as community science or volunteered geographic information) is the reporting of data relating to the natural world by the public, with the time and location of the observation.

First, create an account on one of the citizen science platforms, such as iNaturalist, eBird, or Birds Canada. 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.

‍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 your phone - no problem! You can still be a citizen scientist!

Many of the platforms where you can upload your observations offer an option on the website to upload a batch of photos 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 iNaturalist, eBird, Birds Canada, and WhaleReport App observation counts in B.C.

If you are involved with a citizen science organization 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 Twitter, 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 with 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 camera with a macro or telephoto lens, or a phone with clip-on macros lens
- Spare batteries and/or a portable charger
- Binoculars
- Global Positioning System (GPS) 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 citizen scientists collecting critical data about B.C.'s wildlife and their habitat through a gift. To support this campaign, please visit the donation page on BC Parks Foundation and select the Wildlife Forever program.