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Join naturalists and community experts at Ijams on April 25 and 26 and Seven Islands on April 27, 2025, for the City Nature Challenge! With FREE, two-hour workshops spanning tree ID, birding, wildflowers, amphibians, and more, it's a weekend full of fun for everyone!
City Nature Challenge 2025 - BioBlitz
What is a BioBlitz?
A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time.
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What is the City Nature Challenge?
Ijams Nature Center is proud to partner with Zoo Knoxville, Discover Life in America, Sierra Club, and the City of Knoxville to coordinate a BioBlitz for the City Nature Challenge 2025. During the City Nature Challenge, cities all over the world will collaborate to observe as much wildlife as possible. Help us record observations of wild plants, animals, fungi, and more to see how much nature we can find across the planet while learning who lives nearby!
Ijams BioBlitz 2025 - Workshops
All of the workshops during the City Nature Challenge are free to attend, but participants MUST download the iNaturalist app on their phone and create a free account. We'll be using the app during each workshop!
Friday, April 25 @ Ijams
Ijams After Dark: BioBlitz Edition I 7-10 pm
It's amphibian spotting season! Explore the evening trails and ponds of Ijams after dark, searching for salamanders, frogs, and other amphibians while they wake up from their sleepy winter state as the weather gets warmer. We'll also check out a black light moth cloth, and search for bats and owls. Nets, gloves, and other equipment for amphibian exploration is provided!
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Saturday, April 26 @ Ijams
Spring Birding: BioBlitz Edition I 8 AM @ Ijams, 8 AM @ Forks of the River
Take your first (or 10th) flight out of the nest and into the world of birding during an approachable, fun-filled hike on the trails during spring migration! You'll learn to identify bird species by sight and sound, and discover resources to help with your birding journey. This program is great for complete beginners and bird enthusiasts alike!
**There are two different sessions - both at 8 AM; one at Ijams, and one at Forks of the River WMA.
Fungi, Ferns, & Mosses I 10:00 AM • 1:00 PM​
Out in the field, fungi identification doesn’t leave mush-room for guessing! During this immersive workshop, you’ll learn the basics of fungi and lichen (and fern and moss) anatomy and identification, as well as their pivotal role in our ecosystems, all while using the iNaturalist app to make critical observations and be a community scientist!
Pollinator Palooza: BioBlitz Edition I 10:00 AM • 1:00 PM
What's all the buzz about? Come grab a butterfly net and find out! You're in for a fun-filled session catching beetles, butterflies, bees, and many more insects that call Ijams home! You'll learn respectful bug-catching practices, un-bee-lievable species facts, and how these amazing arthropods benefit our environment.
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*These session are great for anyone with accessibility or mobility concerns! For more info, check out the event page or contact publicprograms@ijams.org
Bugs & Grubs: BioBlitz Edition I 10:00 AM • 1:00 PM
Calling all creek kids! Join an Ijams naturalist to explore under logs and in the creeks and ponds of Ijams while searching for bugs, worms, and other underground critters and macroinvertebrates that are often overlooked.
BE PREPARED: Please wear clothing/footwear that you'd be alright getting wet in!
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Participate at Home
Can't participate during the BioBlitz? Download the iNaturalist app and make observations April 25-28, 2025!
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Check out the City Nature Challenge: Knox Area iNaturalist page to see more events happening in your area!
Trees & Flowering Plants: BioBlitz Edition I 10:00 AM • 1:00 PM
Spring has officially sprung, along with various species of trees flowering plants! During this workshop, you'll learn about different plant lineages, basic plant morphology, species profiles, and more!
Aventura en Español: Edición BioBlitz I 1:00 PM
Durante este taller evolvente, aprenderá identificación de plantas, flores, y animales varios y también sus roles crítico en nuestro medioambiente, todo mientras usando la aplicación iNaturalist para hacer observaciones crítico y ser un científico de la comunidad!