Written By: Todd Burley
Many are drawn to Seattle for its beautiful parks, water access, and connection to both the ocean and mountains. Yet how well do you really know your non-human neighbors? Each year, community scientists spread out to learn what species call Seattle home by participating in the City Nature Challenge (CNC). This “bioblitz” is a great way to learn what other species we share our city with.
In the 2026 CNC, more than 20 people made “research-grade” verified observations of 107 species between April 30 and May 2 in Seattle’s parks. This is just a small snapshot in time. Over the last several years that Seattle Parks and Recreation has established a “Project” in iNaturalist, there have been nearly 60,000 observations made of over 2,000 species!
Let’s meet a few of our neighbors:
Banana Slug
It is great to see our native Banana Slug thriving in places like Carkeek Park. Thanks to virginiamcalister for slowing down enough to catch up to this one!
Fireweed
User haleyharts snapped a great picture of Fireweed out at Discovery Park’s pollinator meadow. This tall native flower loves disturbed areas, and an old military base works great.
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Swallowtails are amazing pollinators, so we love seeing that our parks have enough blooms to keep these stunning insects happy. Thanks to nfitzmom for noting this one!
Pacific Wren
The Pacific Wren is heard more than it is seen. But wesgapp got some nice photos of this elusive understory bird in Ravenna Park. Listen to this to know what they sound like.
We encourage you to explore iNaturalist to learn more about your non-human neighbors and then get out into your parks to see them yourself. If you want to help identify plants, fungi, animals, and more in Seattle’s parks, all it takes is a smart phone, the iNaturalist app, and signing up for the Seattle Parks Project. Then you, too, can be part of this long-term community science project. Enjoy your parks!