Focus on Kandy as Sri Lanka enters global City Nature Challenge
View(s):The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) – Youth Wing is spearheading Sri Lanka’s entry to the City Nature Challenge 2026, a global effort to document urban biodiversity with the heritage city of Kandy chosen to lead this inaugural effort.
From April 24 to 27, 2026, the public is invited to become “citizen scientists” by documenting the wildlife that thrives within Kandy’s urban limits. The CNC Kandy will feature a four-day bioblitz explored across three distinct trails, each with its unique exploration of culture and ecology. From the bustling streets of Kandy town to the sacred hills of Udawattekele Sanctuary and Dunumadalawa Forest Reserve, participants and cities will compete for global titles:
- Most Observations Made
- Most Species Recorded
- Most People Engaged
The City Nature Challenge (CNC) was initiated in 2016 as a “bioblitz” competition between the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco by the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM). A decade later, it has grown into an international movement where over 600 cities document the local biodiversity thriving within their urban limits.
Participation is simple: Download the iNaturalist app, join the “City Nature Challenge 2026: Kandy” project and register for the event.
Formal registration for City Nature Challenge 2026 – Kandy began on March 28. Given the interest, early sign-ups through the WNPS Youth Wing’s official social media channels are encouraged. To commemorate the event, the Youth Wing has also released a series of three limited-edition t-shirts, each featuring a custom-designed map of the Kandy trail routes.
The initiative is organised by the WNPS Youth Wing, in partnership with Rotaract Club of Kandy, Zoologists’ Association of University of Peradeniya, Youth Exploration Society of Sri Lanka, Clean Kandy Force and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society – Colombo Branch.
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