Maricopa County Parks and Recreation: City Nature Challenge Hike

Join Ranger Nikki on an easy to moderate hike to use your phone to document biodiversity in the park for the City Nature Challenge global Citizen Science competition that runs April 24-27. The City Nature Challenge is a global competition between cities to document biodiversity in regions around the world, taking place this year April 24-27. This “contest” showcases citizen science, where ordinary people can make extraordinary contributions to global research. This year, we are excited to have our citizen science programs be part of Citizen Science Month 2026, which is an official partner of America 250, the campaign to celebrate the United States of America’s semiquincentennial anniversary. You can double your impact on the initiative of reaching 2.50 Million Acts of Science by reporting your iNaturalist observations to SciStarter, an organization that connects people to citizen science projects, citizen scientists and resources. Create an account on SciStarter.org, an ASU research affiliate, and add your iNat username to settings (under “Affiliation Integration”). Do this once, and all your observations count! Ranger Nikki will lead a hike with stops along the way to take phone photos of flowers, trees, cacti, birds, bugs, fungi and more to boost the number of observations for Team Phoenix. The route is a maximum 3 miles out-and-back hike using Slate and Flume Trails. The terrain is mostly level but has a few areas that are rocky and uneven. You can prepare for this hike by downloading the free iNaturalist app at home on wi-fi and registering your account before you come to the park. You can join the Greater Phoenix Area team beforehand or Ranger Nikki can help you navigate the app during the hike. Wear closed-toe shoes, sun-protective clothing and a hat. Bring snacks and plenty of water. Be sure to bring your phone fully charged to take photos. You can upload photos to the app later at home. Water and restrooms are available at the trailhead. For more information City Nature Challenge: https://www.citynaturechallenge.org/ Join the Greater Phoenix Area team: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-greater-phoenix-area iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/ MEETING LOCATION: Slate Trailhead Precise meeting location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LZvYHVL2jzrttPZi7 No registration required.       Part of Greater Phoenix City Nature Challenge 2026