The Return of Asia Nature Challenge
GigaScience Press is again helping CitizenScience.Asia mobilise Citizen Scientists Across Asia for a groundbreaking biodiversity initiative from October 3 to 12 2025.
Last year GigaScience Press helped promote the first Asia Nature Challenge, helping grow Asia’s presence in global biodiversity databases and citizen science platforms. Because of the success of the 2024 (73,000+ observations, 13,000+ species, and 700+ project members across Asia), this October marks the second edition and we are again helping spread the word.
The Asia Nature Challenge is a 10-day event with two simple phases, and everyone is welcome to join! From October 3 to 6, head outdoors and take a closer look at the nature around you. Photograph or record the sounds of any wild plants, animals, fungi, or other living things you find, and upload your observations to iNaturalist. From October 7 to 12, help identify what others have shared. You can also finish uploading anything you recorded during the observation days. If you are interested in helping beyond spotting nature this there is still time to participate as Collaborating Organizer.
How to Participate
For both budding and veteran citizen scientists, participating is easy with a free account at iNaturalist. Visit inaturalist.org from your browser, or download iNaturalist app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to create your account.
After the observation phase on 3-6th October, from 7–12 Oct ANC needs help to identify and verify what others found and you can see a video on how to do identification on iNaturalist here.
For more insight on how the first edition of the event worked, CitizenScience.Asia have a video interview with Dr. Alexey Reshchikov, who in his day job works as a wasp taxonomist at HKU School of Biological Sciences, and explains here why he’s a citizen science advocate and decided to participate in Asia Nature Challenge.
Further details about the Asia Nature Challenge is provided on their website, along with all necessary educational resources to ensure a successful local event.
See more on the website: https://citizenscience.asia/naturechallenge/
And sign up on iNaturalist project page here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/asia-nature-challenge-2025