The City Nature Challenge 2024: Marseille to Show off its Unique Biodiversity

The CNC 2024, a Global Race for Urban Biodiversity

From April 26th to April 29th, 2024, the City of Marseille joins 500 other major cities around the world in the City Nature Challenge 2024.
This bioblitz (biodiversity inventory race) has been organized by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County since 2016. The City Nature Challenge is a large citizen science challenge with a simple goal: to collect as many observations as possible of wild animals and plants in urban areas. By participating, everyone discovers the incredible biodiversity abundance of their territory, both on land and at sea. But more importantly, this event advances the identification of biodiversity to better understand and preserve it.

Alone, with your family, friends, or neighbors, everyone can embark on an adventure around their home or on their favorite walking spots, or join one of the organized events for the occasion: check the map on this page to find all events organized in the Marseille area.

Natural Solutions and Éco-Calanques
for a trip to the Frioul Islands!

Did you know the Frioul archipelago bursts with rare and protected plants and animal species? Yes, this is one of the only places in the world where you’ll be able to observe the European leaf-toad gecko for example. And that makes us incredibly proud of our territory!
We will board at 2:00 PM at the Vieux-Port on a, Éco-Calanques hybrid electric boat (more respectful of the environment with its solar panel roof) for a journey to the islands where we will disembark for a guided Ecobalade tour focusing on biodiversity observations. And we’ll be back at the Vieux-Port at 5.00 PM.

Making these inventories allows protected area managers to enhance their knowledge, maintain our natural, cultural, and architectural heritage, as well as their uses, and to protect the environment from pressures such as unregulated tourism, or from real estate developers. This is also how we can protect what will be passed down to the future generations.

Our app Ecobalad lists all the species you are supposed to observe on a trail. Download the app and check if there’s one near you! And if you are a natural area manager, or a local authority, and want to promote your territory’s unique biodiversity, reach out so we can discuss developing an Ecobalade for you.

How to participate in the City Nature Challenge

To participate in the City Nature Challenge, in Marseille or anywhere in the world, find your city in this list. You will be redirected to the appropriate iNaturalist project where you can post your observations. Local biodiversity hides everywhere: in gardens, streets, urban wastelands, hillsides, or under the sea—dare to explore every corner of your city! Scientists from around the world can specify and validate the species encountered in each region. The iNaturalist app or plateform’s simple interface is accessible to all participants, whether they are casual observers or true naturalist experts.

Results will be available starting May 6th. Between April 30th and May 5th, scientists will review the findings submitted by participants, who will receive automatic notifications on iNaturalist. Beginning on May 6th, the results from all cities participating in the global City Nature Challenge will be accessible online. This will include data on the number of participants, observations, and species recorded.

The race has already begun! Save the date: from April 26th to April 29th in Marseille! Join the City of Marseille to advance the knowledge of biodiversity and protect our natural environment.

Let us know how we can help you organize a citizen science project!