City Nature Challenge

From Friday 28 April to Monday 1 May, people from around the world will compete to observe and record sounds and photos of wild plants and animals. Observations are uploaded to the iNaturalist app and contribute to scientific research. This year for the first time, the City of Glen Eira is teaming up with more than 20 councils across metropolitan Melbourne to represent Greater Melbourne on the global stage in the Challenge. 

To get involved, simply:

• Download the free iNaturalist app
• Get out into parks, streets and backyards over the four days of the Challenge. Take photos or record sounds of wildlife, plants, insects and fungi anywhere in the City of Glen Eira.
• Share your observations via the iNaturalist app.

Watch this two-minute video on how to record nature observations with iNaturalist and see what others have spotted around Glen Eira.

Want to take a deeper dive into using iNaturalist?

• Book in for the City Nature Challenge 2023 iNaturalist Training Webinar on Wednesday 26 April, hosted by Hume City Council.
• Watch this Beginners guide to using iNaturalist, hosted by an expert from iNaturalist.
• Read this Short guide to using iNaturalist, prepared by Maroondah City Council.

Bird Life Walk and Talk at Rippon Lea Estate 

The grounds of Rippon Lea Estate are a refuge for many of south-east Australia’s disappearing bird species. The varied plant communities, from huge established trees to mid-storey plants, offer a rare safe haven for many birds. We have partnered with the National Trust to bring the City Nature Challenge to life in Glen Eira with guided bird walks at Rippon Lea Estate.

Award-winning naturalist and Glen Eira resident, Gio Fitzpatrick, will take you on a guided walk of the estate helping you to find and identify a variety of birds. He'll share their stories and discuss the challenges they face in our heavily modified urban environments. You can upload your observations to the iNaturalist app, as part of the City Nature Challenge. 

The free guided walks will take place on Friday 28, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 April from 10.30am to 12pm and then 1pm to 2.30pm each day at Rippon Lea Estate, 192 Hotham Street, Elsternwick.