Texas communities once again ranked among the world’s top performers during the 2026 City Nature Challenge, with four metropolitan areas finishing in the global top 15 and volunteers documenting nearly 180 Species of Greatest Conservation Need.<\/p>\n
The annual community science event drew more than 107,000 participants worldwide, with Texas contributing more than 322,000 wildlife observations \u2014 about 11% of all observations recorded globally.<\/p>\n
Texas Continues Strong Showing<\/p>\n
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), 14 Texas metropolitan areas participated in this year’s challenge, logging 322,416 observations and documenting more than 9,500 different species of plants, animals, and fungi.<\/p>\n
Among those were more than 176 Species of Greatest Conservation Need, including the Texas horned lizard, zone-tailed hawk, tricolored bat, and Texas tortoise.<\/p>\n
For the fifth consecutive year, multiple Texas cities placed among the world’s top performers.<\/p>\n
The San Antonio metropolitan area ranked:<\/p>\n
First in number of observers.<\/p>\n
Second globally in total observations.<\/p>\n
Second in number of species documented.<\/p>\n
The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area ranked:<\/p>\n
Third globally in total observations.<\/p>\n
Third in total species documented.<\/p>\n
Overall, four Texas metropolitan areas finished among the top 15 worldwide for the number of observations submitted.<\/p>\n
Global Participation Continues To Grow<\/p>\n
The 2026 City Nature Challenge included:<\/p>\n
Participants submitted more than 2.88 million observations documenting 75,155 species worldwide.<\/p>\n
Organizers said the event also recorded 5,628 rare, threatened, or endangered species, with every major participation category increasing compared to the 2025 challenge.<\/p>\n
Citizen Scientists Help Conservation Efforts<\/p>\n
The City Nature Challenge encourages people of all ages to document wildlife in their communities using the free iNaturalist<\/a> mobile app.<\/p>\n Participants photograph wild plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms, then upload their observations, which are reviewed and identified by volunteers and experts.<\/p>\n This year’s challenge took place from April 24 through April 27, with submissions and species identifications continuing through May 10.<\/p>\n The event is co-organized by the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.<\/p>\n Texas Nature Trackers Supports Local Effort<\/p>\n