Hedgehogs, by John Hawkins/Surrey Hills Photography

Sheffield City Nature Challenge

Join the City Nature Challenge 2026 and record the wildlife you find in your garden or local area between 24 and 27 April

© Hedgehogs © John Hawkins/Surrey Hills Photography

Take part in our very first city-wide Bioblitz! Simply take and upload photos of wildlife in your garden or local area to the Nature Counts database between 24 and 27 April 2026.

Register your interest today to get notified when the challenge starts and how to record your sightings!

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What is the City Nature Challenge?

The City Nature Challenge is an annual global competition between more than 700 cities all over the world to see how many wild species their citizens can spot over the space of four days.

This year’s challenge takes place between 24th and 27th April, and marks the first time Sheffield will be taking part.

Whether you’ve seen something common or rare, in one of our nature reserves or elsewhere within Sheffield, let us know and record your wildlife sightings using our easy recording page ‘Nature Counts’. Records of wildlife spotted and recorded in Sheffield* during the challenge dates count towards our total and move us up the live global leader board.

The best part is, you don’t need to be an expert. Simply take a photo of a wild plant or animal you’ve seen out and about. All species records are welcome, from birds and bees to fungi and lichens – they all help to build up a picture of the state of nature here in Sheffield.

Why take part?

Make a global and local impact – You’ll be joining an exciting global mission to record as much wildlife as possible, whilst helping to support local conservation efforts across Sheffield. Your observations can help us map changes in the distribution and population of our wildlife and help us to protect local species for years to come.

Experience and enjoy nature – This is the perfect opportunity to get some fresh air and head to your natural green spaces around the city. Why not set up a chair in your garden or on your balcony to watch your local wildlife pop by for a visit. You could note down your observations on a walk to your local park or even dust off your hiking boots and visit your local nature reserve.

Learn a new skill – We have a range of resources and spotter sheets below to help you identify different animal and plant species. Once you start, you won’t want to stop – you’ll want to note down all the different species you see out and about!

Plus, you’ll get a FREE guide to moths in your garden and local area when you sign up for updates for the Sheffield City Nature Challenge!

How do I take part?

Here are different ways you can take part in the challenge:

  1. Help us record as much wildlife as possible during the challenge from 24 – 27 April 2026. Download our simple Bioblitz form to note down your sightings and take photos as evidence.
  2. You can install various apps on your phone to help you identify species, for example, Google Lens, Obsidentify, Merlin Bird ID, Flora Incognita, PlantSnap, Tree ID, etc.
  3. If you’re taking photos in your garden, please only record the ‘weeds’ that have naturally grown, not the flowers/plants you have planted yourself – pets don’t count as wildlife either!
  4. Go to our Nature Counts webpage and click on ‘Enter a list of records’ to upload your photos and list. Make sure you select whether you are ‘certain’ or ‘uncertain’ of your records.
  5. Your entries will be verified by our team of experts once submitted, so don’t worry if you are unsure.
  6. You can also host a bioblitz! If you lead walks, scout groups, or other outdoor activities, why not plan a session with your group during the challenge dates? We’ll be happy to provide advice.

Resources to get you started

Photo by John Bridges shows a male Orange-tip butterfly from above.The orange tips of its wings that give its name stand out.
Identification Guides
Spotter Sheets
Bioblitz Form

What is Nature Counts?

Nature Counts is our online sightings and recording system – an easy way to upload species data and images. The species information uploaded will help us to get a clearer representation of how our local flora and fauna are thriving or where they are in decline. The data collected will also feed in to the National Biodiversity Network’s database, the NBN Atlas, which is shared by ecologists across the country and used to inform national policy decisions about nature and the environment.

Find out more

If you have any questions about the Sheffield City Nature Challenge, please drop an email to the team: naturesheffield@wildsheffield.com

Register your interest today to receive reminders and updates about the challenge!

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*Only wildlife records made in Sheffield will count towards the challenge leaderboard, but any records made in Rotherham will still help local conservation efforts. All records will be fed into the National Biodiversity Network’s database and can be used by ecologists and scientists across the country to inform national policy decisions about nature and the environment.

Organisers and partners

Thank you to our partners:

  • Sheffield City Council & North LAC
  • Shire Brook Valley Nature Reserve
  • OPUS
  • Ecclesfield Parish Council

Images:

Orange tip butterfly by John Bridges

Blue Tit by Beverley van der Tuijn

Hawthorn by Philip Precey