Urban Wildlife and City Nature Challenge

Cities are not just human spaces, but also part of the ecosystem. The City Nature Challenge is a global event where communities compete to document the most species of plants and animals in their cities. Burlington, Vermont participated and documented 584 species in just a few days. Despite human activity, wildlife thrives in cities, with raccoons being particularly common. In a city like Burlington, there could potentially be 15,000 raccoons compared to the human population of 40,000. Urban environments provide food year-round and fewer predators, making them attractive for some animals. However, city animals also face challenges, such as disrupted natural rhythms due to constant lights and increased stress levels.