Debrecen4U
April 14, 2026
Debrecen Joins Global Nature Observation Challenge
The University of Debrecen’s Biodiversity, Water Management and Climate Change Competence Centre is involving the city of Debrecen in the City Nature Challenge initiative for the first time this year. Taking place between 24 and 26 April, the programme aims to map the city’s biodiversity with the involvement of residents and enable Debrecen to compare its results with those of major international cities.
City Nature Challenge is a citizen science programme in which participants contribute to nature research through their own observations. During the walks, participants observe plants, animals and other living organisms, then record them in the iNaturalist application.
Organisers emphasise that no prior species knowledge is required to take part. The app’s automatic species identification function, along with its international user community, helps refine observations, ensuring the data are scientifically valuable.
The event will take place over three days at three different locations:
- 24 April, 16:00–19:00 – Great Forest
- 25 April, 10:00–13:00 – Grazing Grounds on Sámsoni Road
- 26 April, 10:00–13:00 – Fancsika Reservoir I
Each walk will be led by experts, with participants jointly collecting and documenting observations.
Debrecen in an international field
In recent years, several European cities, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Birmingham and Graz, have joined City Nature Challenge, contributing by thousands of documented species and large numbers of observations; Graz topped the European rankings in 2024 based on species richness.
Debrecen is participating in the international challenge for the first time this year, representing Hungary alongside Budapest.
The programme is free of charge. To take part, a smartphone and use of the iNaturalist app are recommended. Organisers ask participants to wear appropriate clothing and bring sufficient food and drink. Dogs are not permitted at the event.
The initiative aims to bring urban residents closer to nature, while enabling Debrecen to play an active role in international biodiversity data collection.
Source: dehir.hu
