Join Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to celebrate Earth Day with Party for the Planet on Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is also a great place to get started on the global City Nature Challenge happening this weekend.
Party for the Planet includes a Sustainability Market, Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc. educational presentations, educational booths, a bounce house and scavenger hunt. All event activities are free to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium members or with paid Zoo admission. Details and a schedule can be found at OmahaZoo.com/Special-Events.
The Zoo will also have a City Nature Challenge booth at Party for the Planet to help get everyone started with the Challenge. City Nature Challenge is a global, citizen science challenge held annually to encourage participants to explore wildlife in their city. Cities from all over the world count species over the four-day event. The free City Nature Challenge to help document Omaha Metro biodiversity begins today, April 28, and ends May 1, 2023. Anyone in the Omaha area can participate.
- It is free and easy to download the National Geographic’s free iNaturalist app, available on Apple’s App Store or Google Play for Android.
- Once downloaded, select the project titled “City Nature Challenge 2023: Omaha Metro.”
- Find wildlife around the Omaha community between 12:01 a.m. on April 28 and 11:59 p.m. on May 1, 2023. This can include any plant, animal, or other evidence of life, such as scat, fur, tracks, shells and carcasses. Wildlife must be native to the participating city.
- Take a picture of what is discovered and take note of its location.
- Report the findings on the iNaturalist app.
Check the Zoo’s website at OmahaZoo.com/CityNatureChallenge and the Zoo’s social media channels for information about what various partners are doing to help spread this fun and exciting experience throughout the Omaha area.
For the 2023 City Nature Challenge, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s partners include Omaha STEM Ecosystem, Heron Haven, Omaha Public Libraries, Keep Omaha Beautiful, Omaha Parks and Recreation, Fontenelle Forest, The RiverFront, Green Omaha Coalition and The Bull Moose.
