When we’ve got a mind to spend a little time with nature, we often assume we need to wander beyond city limits to find it. Some cities, though, boast a stunning amount of biodiversity nestled between the skyscrapers and busy streets. The international City Nature Challenge (CNC) seeks those cities where nature thrives. The CNC is an annual event. It began in 2016. It started as a friendly rivalry between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It has since grown worldwide. The matchup is billed as a “bioblitz.” It is an intense, community effort to spotlight plant and animal species in a city. In 2024, 690 cities took part. They were spread across 51 countries. San Antonio, Texas, won the award for the most biodiverse city. Citizen scientists in the Longhorn State tagged over 65,000 wildlife sightings. They observed more than 3,700 unique species in and around the city. They are eager to defend their title this year. "Let's continue to inspire the world …," City Nature Challenge Team: San Antonio Metro Area wrote in a press release. "Together, we can defend our National Champion status in future challenges while expanding our understanding of the natural world!" CNC keeps a running total for the challenge on its website. As of Thursday afternoon, Cochabamba, Bolivia, had claimed the lead. The city's team had documented 6,624 unique species over 107,524 wildlife sightings. San Antonio is in second place. Its team has recorded 4,865 unique species over 126,788 wildlife sightings. Winners will be announced May 5. Reflect: If you were to explore the animals and plants in your own neighborhood, what cool or unexpected things do you think you might find? Gif of San Antonio from GIPHY.
