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In seven metropolises across the country, nature lovers are getting a taste of what the city has to offer this week. Downloadable scavenger hunts, a dragonfly talk, and a walk in an old growth forest are just a few of the activities going on during , a celebration of National Urban Biodiversity Week, which ends Sunday.
The events, an outgrowth of , “reconnect people to the nature around them to boost appreciation of the local ecology and native biodiversity that make it possible and enrich our urban lives,” says founder Marielle Anzelone, a botanist and urban ecologist.
This weekend, Los Angelinos can cup a bug in their hand at the (chefs will also be in attendance to cook up a insect snacks). Earlier this week a mycologist pointed out a park’s fungi to New Yorkers. And in Seattle volunteers can get their hands dirty pulling invasives and planting native flora.
“We think the relationship between a city and its nature is vital,” says Anzelone. “We created Nature Block Party as a new national collaborative project to engage urbanites with their local nature. Collectively, we are leveraging participation to create a louder voice for urban nature.”
For more information, visit Nature Block Party’s . And if you can’t make any of the events, join one of its partners, , and help catalogue the plants and animals that live just outside your window.