Let’s Boost Biodiversity Observations from Asia
Asia Nature Challenge starts in
What is the Asia Nature Challenge?
Asia holds incredible biodiversity, but much of this natural wealth remains under-documented and under-represented on citizen science platforms. The Asia Nature Challenge (ANC) hosted by CitizenScience.Asia aims to change that.
ANC is a two phase 10-day event that invites citizen scientists, environmental groups, and individuals to document local wildlife using iNaturalist – contributing valuable data to global documentation and conservation efforts. During the observation phase (October 18-21), explore nature, document your findings, and share them on iNaturalist. In the identification phase (October 22-27), help identify the collected observations.
Upon joining, participants raise awareness of Asia’s diverse species and strengthen the region’s role in the global citizen science community. This challenge is an opportunity for anyone passionate about nature to contribute meaningfully to its protection. Be part of ANC and help shape the future of Asian biodiversity knowledge and efforts.
What are the Key Goals?
ANC intends to inspire communities across Asia to become active contributors of citizen science. By documenting local flora and fauna, participants can deepen their connection with nature and contribute to a larger conservation mission. The project key goals include:
- Expand Citizen Science Participation: Mobilise diverse communities across Asia to actively engage in documenting the region’s biodiversity, fostering a sense of environmental stewardship and involvement.
- Enhance Biodiversity Data Quality: Increase the percentage of verifiable and research-grade observations, ensuring that data collected is reliable and valuable for conservation and scientific research.
- Fill Data Gaps: Target under-explored regions and lesser-known species, encouraging observations from areas previously undocumented to provide a comprehensive understanding of Asia’s unique ecosystems.
Aligned with CitizenScience.Asia’s broader mission, the ANC also emphasises building connections by strengthening networks among established citizen scientists and environmental organisations, building capacity by making accessible digital tools and educational resources to reduce barriers and enhance participants’ skills, and building conversations by fostering dialogues with social entrepreneurs and policymakers to amplify Asia’s voice in global biodiversity discussions.
How to get involved?
Taking part in the Asia Nature Challenge is easy and rewarding! As an individual, you can join as a participant during one or both phases of the event: Observation and Identification. If you or your affiliated organisation would like to do even more, consider becoming a collaborating organiser!
Be a Collaborating Organiser
Great opportunity to take a lead in your community to increase environmental engagement, and also get invaluable training and experience on working with biodiversity data.
Participate as an Observer
Head outdoors to explore and document the rich biodiversity around you — every record helps as contribution to global conservation efforts.
Sign-up coming soon.
Participate as an Identifier
Help identify and classify the collected data. It is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, learn from experts, and contribute to a deeper understanding of our region’s natural heritage.
Sign-up coming soon.
FAQs
What is the Asia Nature Challenge?
The Asia Nature Challenge is a continent-wide initiative encouraging people across Asia to observe and document nature and wildlife in their local areas using the iNaturalist platform.
Who all can participate? How do I participate?
Anyone in Asia can participate! Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, student, or just curious, all are welcome to join and share observations. Simply explore nature in your area, record findings of plants, animals, or any other organisms, and share them to the iNaturalist platform during the event observation period (October 18-21). You can also participate by assisting with identification of the collected observations during the identification period (October 22-27).
How does identification work? How do I do that?
Experts on iNaturalist who can identify will give you identification for your observations, you can also contribute to identifying observations by putting them into lowest classification you know about the observation.
Can we upload videos as observation?
No, there is no support for uploading of video observations on iNaturalist at this point.
What types of observations are valid?
Any wild organisms like plants, insects, birds, or fungi, any evidence of their presence can be uploaded as an observation. Domesticated animals or plants in gardens (casual observations) do not count as wild observations and will not be considered for this event.
How can I help promote the challenge?
You can help by sharing the challenge on social media and inviting your friends, family, and community to join and share their observations. Use Hashtag #AsiaNatureChallenge and #CitSciANC2024 will be used for this event. Have fun!
Resources
iNaturalist Tutorials Playlist
This playlist is your go-to guide for mastering iNaturalist! Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your skills, these videos cover everything you need to know. From making your first observation using the app to geotagging your photos, uploading sounds and using the Identify page, you are all covered. You’ll find tips, tricks, and step-by-step tutorials to enhance your experience. Check out the FAQs and the Identify Page Tutorial for advanced tips. Let’s get started! Watch the playlist here.
WWF-India’s Biodiversity Explorer Kit
This ‘Biodiversity Explorer Kit’ is for simply anybody to fall in love with biodiversity in your backyard. This kit comprises a series of guides to observe and document life around you, it is designed to help you get started in engaging with and learning about the fascinating flora and fauna that we share our world with. It offers tips on how to make observations and field tricks. What are you waiting for? Get out there and explore! You can download it from this link.
Hosting Organisation
CitizenScience.Asia is a leading platform dedicated to promoting citizen science efforts across Asia. By connecting communities, researchers, and organisations, it works to improve the capacity for biodiversity data collection and advance sustainability conversations through initiatives like the Asia Nature Challenge.
Project Team
Mendel Wong
Project Advisor / Lead
Scott Edmunds
Project Advisor
Anukriti Sharma
Project Coordinator
Ashwin A
Regional Coordinator
Sha Qiu
Regional Coordinator
Akarsh Pasi
Regional Coordinator
Rishabh Tiwari
Regional Coordinator
Jafar M Mir
Regional Coordinator
Kuruvilla K Ancheril
Regional Coordinator
Winda Ayu Candra
Regional Coordinator
Preet Vaishnav
Regional CoordinatorSupporting Organisations
"The City Nature Challenge (CNC) global organizing teams at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences are very excited about the launch of the Asia Nature Challenge and to celebrate the large-scale engagement. Like the Great Southern Bioblitz, the Asia Nature Challenge is another international community science effort demonstrating the powerful model that CNC has become. We support the ANC organizers and all participants in their endeavor!"
LILA HIGGINS, Co-Director & Founder, City Nature Challenge
“We're excited to see more people sharing what they find on iNaturalist. Asia has some of the world's most biodiverse countries and more than half of the world's population. There are so many species yet to be described, and so many species are poorly known. The Asia Nature Challenge is a great opportunity to get to know what lives near you, and you might be surprised by what you find when you start paying closer attention!”
CARRIE SELTZER, PhD, Head of Engagement, iNaturalist
"The Asia Nature Challenge enables both trained and amateur observers of nature in the region to connect with millions of other people around the world who are equally fascinated by the 'endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful' of life on Earth. By cultivating the practice of citizen science, the event can link our individual and local concerns for the natural world to global efforts to provide the evidence needed to understand and protect biodiversity.”
KYLE COPAS, Communications Manager, Global Biodiversity Information Facility
“The Asia Nature Challenge is a great opportunity to engage people of all ages in citizen science. It celebrates backyard biodiversity; I hope the fervor with which people participate continues. The format of friendly competition across cities globally makes this an inclusive, fun event to raise awareness on planet-critical issues like ‘biodiversity loss’ & ‘urban wildlife.' Indian cities are all set to make their mark on the world stage this year.”
NEHA RAGHAV, Director of Environment Education, WWF-India
“The Asia Nature Challenge 2024 is an exciting initiative. There is so much amazing biodiversity on our doorsteps - I hope that many citizen scientists will go out, explore, and observe nature around them. This will not only increase our biodiversity knowledge but will also help to foster the next generation of environmental stewards in Asia."
DR. YANNICK KUEHL, Executive Director, Asia Pacific, National Geographic Society
"Being an Asian-based open-science publisher facilitating the sharing of data from many Citizen Science projects, we are excited to see the Asia Nature Challenge help mobilize citizens to better understand their environment, and fill biodiversity data gaps in the world's largest and most populous continent."
SCOTT EDMUNDS, PhD, Editor in Chief, GigaScience Press
