Apr 27 2019
EcoCitizen Day: A City Nature Challenge Event

EcoCitizen Day: A City Nature Challenge Event

Presented by WFSU and City of Tallahassee at Railroad Square Art District

Home base is the Market Space, which is adjacent to the FAMU Way playground. Join us for kids activities, entertainment, and PBS KIDS' character Nature Cat.

From there, you can head out to one of three locations for a bio-blitz using iNaturalist. The goal is to use iNaturalist to photograph and identify as many plant and animal (and mushroom, moss, lichen...) species as possible.

This event is funded by PBS Nature. Their producers are busy getting ready for American Spring LIVE, an ambitious multi-day broadcast set to air on WFSU-TV just after EcoCitizen Day. Tune in to WFSU-TV on April 29, 30, and May 1 at 8 pm ET.

EcoCitizen Day is sponsored by the City of Tallahassee, FL - Government. Additional funding has been provided by Leon County.

The locations are:
- Lake Elberta, a short walk from our home base by Railroad Square.
- The Munson Sandhills. Dipnet ephemeral wetlands with the Coastal Plains Institute, where you'll find salamanders, frogs, insects and more. We'll provide transportation to and from this location.
- San Luis Park. We'll provide transportation to and from, or you can drive.

Each location will have volunteers to help you spot and identify species. And if you've never used iNaturalist, our volunteers can help you with that, too! Additionally, we'll post tips on this page and on the WFSU Ecology Blog (https://blog.wfsu.org/blog-coastal-health/).

This is part of the City Nature Challenge, which runs from April 26-29. We're competing with over 100 cities around the world to see who can observe the most species using iNaturalist. We want Leon County to win!

And there are chances for you to win as well. The person with the most verified observations will win a kayak trip with Harry Smith Outdoors, LLC. There will also be discounts at nearby Black Dog Cafe and other prizes for different numbers of observations- we'll keep you updated.

On EcoCitizen Day, we're hitting up city parks and the Apalachicola National Forest. But you can make observations in your own backyard. As part of the WFSU EcoCitizen Project, the WFSU Ecology Blog will have content on gardening for wildlife in Florida, and we're providing free pollinator flower seeds. By selecting the right plants, you'll see more birds, butterflies, bees, and more. They're fun to have in your yard, and you can observe them using iNaturalist.

Admission Info

Participation in the City Nature Challenge is free. However, if you're planning to participate, please register on iNaturalist.

Phone: 8506027143

Email: hpower@fsu.edu

Dates & Times

2019/04/27 - 2019/04/27

Location Info

Railroad Square Art District

620 Railroad Square, Tallahassee, FL 32310

Parking Info

Parking is accesible at most shops and studios as well as parking available alongside FAMU Way near the playground.