Chennai joins global City Nature Challenge to spotlight urban biodiversity

The Hindu

25-04-2025

Did you know that there are around 100 species of wildflowers and 150 species of butterflies in Chennai? One might be skeptical, but a closer look would reveal this biodiversity.
Residents of the city have joined the global City Nature Challenge (CNC), which runs from April 25 to 28. Organised by the Community Science teams at the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the challenge involves participation from various cities, wherein nature enthusiasts share observations of flora and fauna on the iNaturalist platform.
CNC aims to raise awareness about urban biodiversity and encourages people to engage in citizen science by spotting and documenting trees, birds, and other wildlife they might not typically notice.
P. Harini, a 21-year-old nature enthusiast, participated last year as well. She says she took up the challenge on a whim, introduced to it by her sister. What started as a casual hobby of observing both flora and fauna has now evolved into what Harini describes as an 'exhilarating obsession.'
A resident of Triplicane, she visits nearby parks and even observes nature from her terrace. On the first day of the challenge this year, she spotted around 45 species of flora and fauna. Among them were the Great Banded Hornet, Chinese Apple, and Garden Tent-web spider. 'Last year, the larvae were particularly exciting to spot,' she recalled. Although she hasn't discovered anything extraordinary this year so far, there are still three more days to go.
M. Gowtham of Palluyir Trust, which is coordinating the CNC in Chennai this year, sees it as a unique opportunity to observe the often-overlooked aspects of nature. He visited the Kotturpuram Urban Forest and Adyar river trial this year. Gowtham, who will lead a walk at Chitlapakkam Lake, points out that there are many fascinating stories about smaller creatures, which rarely get the spotlight compared to larger animals.
Harini also says, 'By taking the time to notice and observe our surroundings, we unlock an entirely different world. Only then can we realise how everything is interconnected and start thinking about conservation.'
For Claudia, the exciting part of the challenge is joining fellow nature enthusiasts as part of a team. During her observations, she spotted several species, including the Portia tree, Bauhinia, two-tailed spider, lacewing eggs, short-horned grasshopper, Indian black ant, and the ant-mimic spider.
Along the Adyar river, Claudia also heard the distinctive stridulation of crickets and managed to spot several individuals, which are typically difficult to find. She is eagerly anticipating a wasp walk with the Madras Naturalists Society later in the challenge. Through these walks and observations, participants are discovering how much nature thrives in urban spaces and, more importantly, learning how to protect and preserve it.
The results of CNC will be announced on May 5.