Sponsored: Dubai residents are invited to explore and record local wildlife as part of a global nature discovery challenge
Love nature? Sign up for the City Nature Challenge Dubai, running from April 24 to 27, 2026. It’s a global initiative that invites residents to discover and document the wildlife living around us.
The four-day event is part of the world’s largest city-led nature discovery movement and is led by Terra, Expo City Dubai.
From desert dunes to neighbourhood streets, anyone can partake by snapping up photos of plants and animals and uploading them to the iNaturalist app (available on the App Store and Google Play). Every observation will be a helpful contribution to global research, helping to put Dubai’s biodiversity on a global leaderboard against hundreds of cities globally.
The great news? No experience is needed, and it is open to all ages and backgrounds. All you need to do is snap up a photo and you are a citizen scientist.
So, how does it work?
Follow this simple participation mechanic: Find it. Snap it. Share it.
- Spot any native plant or animal
- Take a photo
- Upload it to the iNaturalist app
It’s that easy.
During your experience, you’re bound to go on an educational adventure, turning your simple walk into a discovery mission. And every single upload will make an impact, adding on data which will be used by the global scientific community.
Want more?
During the challenge, Terra at Expo City Dubai will be hosting the Nature & Wonder Festival on April 25 and 26 – a vibrant, family-friendly community-focused celebration of the natural world where guests of all ages will get to explore the beauty and balance of nature through immersive and interactive experiences.
The festival will introduce elements of urban biodiversity and community science, encouraging visitors to observe, document, and connect with nature within Expo City. And yes, you can use your expert observation skills to snap up photos for the City Nature Challenge Dubai.
Expect live storytelling, animal encounters and guided nature explorations which run every 30 minutes. There are even expert talks that will ensure you will leave Expo City with plenty of interesting knowledge, plus hands-on workshops which include the bee hotel and journaling plus arts and crafts and face painting.
Terra is also hosting indoor film screenings and an eco-market with sustainable products plus food and beverage outlets.
Tickets to the festival start from Dhs50, and children under four can enter for free.
Book your tickets here.
@visitterra.ae, @expocitydubai
Images: Supplied
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