Sun, Apr 26
|Notch Visitor Center
City Nature Challenge: Guided Nature Walk at Notch Visitor Center in Amherst, MA
Time & Location
Apr 26, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Notch Visitor Center, 1500 West St, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
About the event
Trails Day with a Challenge!
Get outside and engage in community science through nature exploration. Join Kestrel Land Trust, Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), and MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) for a Bio Blitz! Drop in, enjoy kid friendly activities, chat with educators, join a session or a guided hike. Stay for five minutes or a few hours. Free. Session and hike are open to all ages and great for families.
10:00 – 10:30 am: Species Identification Session - Learn the basics of the City Nature Challenge including use of iNaturalist 101 and plant identification for beginners. No registration needed.
11:00 am– 12:00 pm. Naturalist Guided Hike. 1 to 2 mile guided hike on an easy-moderate trail. Test out your identification skills on the trail and engage in citizen science. Registration required, call or email: 413-253- 2883 or holyoke.range@mass.gov
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More Information on the City Nature Challenge:
Join Connecticut River Conservancy and partners throughout the watershed for the 2026 City Nature Challenge from April 24 to April 27! Take note of observations on land, in the sky, and in our waters. Start in your backyard or head to your favorite local preserve. We will look, listen, and document our watershed's abundant and unique biodiversity together.
Participate by following these steps:
Make an iNaturalist account.
Join one of the watershed projects listed below that is closest to you.
During April 24-27, 2026, head outside to make observations in iNaturalist. Take photos of plants, animals, and fungi anywhere in the listed project areas. Consider joining one of the guided City Nature Challenge walks led by CRC or our partner organizations and learn more about your watershed with community.
Upload your observations at home or in the field, and they'll automatically be added to a project.
Check back on the Project Journal for information about CNC events that you can join, and help us identify observations from April 28-May 10!
Watershed projects:
New Hampshire - Upper Valley
New Hampshire - Monadnock Region
Vermont - Windham County
Massachusetts - Western Mass (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties)
Massachusetts - Springfield
Connecticut - Hartford and New Haven counties
Check this list to find more cities, towns, and regions participating all over the world.
Timeline:
Observation period: April 24 - 27
Uploading & identification period: April 28 - May 10
Results announced May 13
Our Events calendar is continually being updated with new opportunities to learn and connect. See what else is happening throughout the watershed (both virtually and in -person!