Luxembourg's natur musée (National Museum of Natural History) has announced that the 7th edition of the City Nature Challenge (CNC) in Luxembourg will take place from Friday 25 to Monday 28 April 2025.

In a statement, the natur musée explained that the CNC is an annual four-day event that now extends to more than 500 regions on six continents in which cities around the world collaborate in a friendly competition to document nature.

The CNC was launched and organised ten years ago by citizen science teams from the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. It invites citizens from around the world to discover and submit photos of wild plants, animals and mushrooms using the free iNaturalist mobile app which can be downloaded at https://www.inaturalist.org/. The CNC is described as a friendly global challenge, aimed at determining which region will collect the most data to collectively record the maximum amount of information on wild biodiversity. 

During CNC 2024, more than 3,900 endangered, endemic or under-documented species were recorded, providing valuable information to scientists, educators, urban planners and policymakers. In Luxembourg, 8,915 observations and 1,470 species were documented by 292 participants during CNC 2024.

The data, generated by citizens on iNaturalist, is identified and coordinated by the museum and scientific organisations. They help governing bodies make informed conservation decisions, enabling human and natural communities to thrive.

During the weekend of Friday 25 to Monday 28 April, several events will take place across the country as part of the CNC:

On Friday 25 April 2025, the following activities are organised:

- the natur musée will host a lunchtime nature walk across the Pétrusse Valley, starting at 12:00 at Pont d’Adolphe. For further details and to register, see: https://booking.mnhn.lu/booking/10/50/offers/271;

- natur&ëmwelt Asbl will host a "Biodiversity Picnic", starting at 12:00 at the House of Nature in Kockelscheuer (5 Route de Luxembourg). To register, email: reservation@naturemwelt.lu;

- at 17:00, SIAS biological station will organise “Our animal roommates in the garden”, to discover which animals are hiding in our garden and learn to identify them in different ways. Registration, prior to Wednesday 23 April, is required via email: m.clemens@sias.lu.

From Friday 25 to Monday 28 April, the natur musée will organise City Nature Challenge for eleven- to eighteen-year-olds.

On Saturday 26 April 2025, the following events will take place:

- the natur musée will organise a family tour: Biodiversity on the Wenceslas Trail, starting at 10:00 at the National Museum of Natural History in Luxembourg-Grund. For further details, see https://booking.mnhn.lu/booking/10/50/offers/272;

- SICONA is organising a City Nature challenge from 13:00 at Am Kannerbongert in Differdange. For further information and to register, email: administration@sicona.lu or tel: 263-03625;

- CELL, The Breedewee garden (Transition Minett) and Bee Together are organising “Flowers and pollinators” at the Breedewee Community Garden in Esch-sur-Alzette (Rue Large), starting from 10:00 until 12:00. To register, email: eisegaart@cell.lu;

- CELL, Transition Minett and Bee Together are organising “Learn to recognise wild pollinators” at Pavillon 5 in Esch-sur-Alzette (1 Rue Arthur Useldinger) from 14:00 until 16:00. To register, email: eisegaart@cell.lu;

On Sunday 27 April 2025:

- Nature & Geopark Mullerthall, Nature Park Our and Nature Park Öewersauer will organise a “Wild herb hike”, at Brandenbourg (Ecole du Goût, 1B, Haaptstroos), from 13:00 until 17:00. To register, email: insekten@naturpark-our.lu or tel: 908-188644 / 908-188639;

- CELL and Bee Together are organising “Learn to recognise pollinators with iNaturalist”, at Canopée, Luxembourg-Pafendall (4 Rue Vauban) from 10:00 until 12:00 and “Learn to recognise pollinators” at  Jacquinotsgaart in Bettembourg (100 Rue Charles Jacquinot), from 14:30 until 16:00. To register for either event, email: mailto:eisegaart@cell.lu.

HOM