April, 2026 — The Boston Area City Nature Challenge in Cohasset
City Nature Challenge will take place in 2026 from April 24-27. This is a worldwide effort to find and identify as many species as possible in urban and suburban areas over one long weekend. The City Nature Challenge was launched in 2016 and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Last year, 100,000 people in 669 participating urban areas on six continents recorded more than 3 million observations. The City Nature Challenge is an easy and fun way for ordinary people to help scientists understand the distribution and trends in urban and suburban biodiversity.
Locally, the Boston Area City Nature Challenge includes Cohasset. Find out more about the Boston Area City Nature Challenge.
Suburban and urban biodiversity matters, at a time when more than one million species worldwide are threatened with extinction. And you can be a part of biodiversity research! Cohasset Conservation Trust is sponsoring three events so you can participate in the 2026 City Nature Challenge:
1. Online Intro to City Nature Challenge
Wed., April 22, 7-8 p.m., online
Learn how to use the iNaturalist app used by City Nature Challenge to record species biodiversity. Led by Dan Harper, iNaturalist Ambassador (@danlharp).
For the Zoom link, contact us.
2. Mosses in Great Brewster Woods
Fri., April 24, 3-5 p.m.
We’ll seek out mosses and liverworts in the woods. Then we’ll identify them using a hand lens (loaners available) or a microscope. If you have a compound or dissecting microscope, please bring it along — we will have access to 23 N. Main St. to set up microscopes. Coordinators: Dan Harper and Katie Holden.
Meet at the entrance sign at the end of Great Brewster Trail (parking on Cohasset Common). We’ll set off promptly at 3:05 p.m.
3. Plants of Barnes Wildlife Sanctuary and Boot Preserve
Sat., April 25, 10-noon
We’ll walk in to the Barnes Sanctuary to identify as many plants as possible. Along the way, we’ll record any other living organisms we encounter. Coordinators: Dan Harper and Katie Holden.
Meet at the main parking lot for Wheelwright Park off N. Main St. We’ll set off promptly at 10:05 a.m.
Please print out the flyer below and post around your neighborhood!
Cohasset Nature 