After a group of 110 southcentral Kentucky citizens last spring identified more than 700 plant, animal and fungi species and made over 1,800 different observations as part of the worldwide City Nature Challenge, there are hopes that more people will participate this April for the second CNC in the region.

Katie Marquardt, president of the Southern Kentucky chapter of the Wild Ones, a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote native plant and animal life, said the event began a decade ago in California as a way to connect urban residents with nature.

“A lot of people assume, if you live in a city, there’s not a lot of nature around you,” she said. “They were challenging people to think beyond that and take a look and see what you can find.”

The City Nature Challenge has grown, and will take place in several dozen countries around the world April 25-28. Four cities in Kentucky will participate: Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green and Frankfort.

Data collected through the CNC is used to help track the movement of invasive species, Marquardt said. Additionally, observations made during the challenge are used to locate rare or endangered species.

Bowling Green’s CNC is open to residents of Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Simpson and Warren counties.

“It’s so important for us to know not just what native plants are around us and what native plants we’re able to find in our city … but it’s also really useful (for) understanding what invasive species are here, in regards to plants that are causing damage to our ecosystems,” she said.

Marquardt said Lost River Cave is an organizing partner for this year’s CNC, something she said supports the importance of finding invasive species.

“That’s an area where they’ve had a lot of issues with invasive species, both plants and insects,” she said. “It’s really efforts like this that are helping people determine where our priorities lie, to help the plants that should be here and to get rid of the plants that shouldn’t be here.”

Findings made during the four-day event are uploaded to the app iNaturalist. Observations need to be made of wild plants and fungi, along with any animals except humans and domesticated cats and dogs, according to the Bowling Green CNC page.

No registration for the event is needed. Once information is uploaded, feedback will be provided.

“You can be just a … high school student, and make an observation and get feedback from professional scientists that are looking for these specific species,” Marquardt said.

For more information, visit bit.ly/CNCBGKY25.