NH Audubon Nature Challenge

Get ready for the 2nd annual Audubon Nature Challenge!

Join people all over New Hampshire documenting birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, flowers, trees, mosses, mushrooms, and everything else during this weeklong conservation event. There is at least one location in every county and three that meet ADA accessibility guidelines.

Explore on your own or join one of our guided tours (follow the links to register):

Sunday, June 21 @ Ponemah Bog
Monday, June 22 @ Popple Island
Tuesday, June 23 @ Farley Meadow
Wednesday, June 24 @ Pondicherry
Friday, June 26 @ Bellamy River
Saturday, June 27 @ Massabesic

Participation is Easy

Using the free iNaturalist and eBird platforms, which can be downloaded right onto your phone, this weeklong event aims to document the birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, flowers, trees, mosses, mushrooms, and everything that either stops at our sanctuaries or calls them home.

Step 1: Download the free iNaturalist and eBird apps to your phone.

Step 2: Plan a visit to one of the NH Audubon properties listed below (or many of them), from June 21 through June 27 to help us create a complete living inventory of our lands.

Step 3: Watch the recording of this year’s informational webinar to learn more about using iNaturalist and eBird, participating safely in the challenge, and how to sign up for our guided tours. Make sure to join the iNaturalist project if you haven’t already here.

During the webinar, you will:

Learn about the NH Audubon Nature Challenge and why we need your help.
Learn how to register for iNaturalist and eBird if you do not already have an account (both are free to use!) and how to submit valid observations.
Find out which wildlife sanctuaries are included and some tips on visiting.

There is no previous fieldwork experience necessary to participate and the more animals, plants, and fungi you observe, the more exciting the challenge will be. We can’t wait to have you join us.

List of Wildlife Sanctuaries

Visit one or a few – we have a whole week!

Your help is needed no matter where you are in New Hampshire; there is at least one included sanctuary in every region of the state and three locations that meet ADA accessibility guidelines.

*visit the sanctuaries page to explore details about these sanctuaries including directions and trail maps*

Abe Emerson Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Candia
Alice Bemis Thompson Wildlife Sanctuary (Thompson), Sandwich (ADA accessible)
Bear Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Hebron
Bellamy River Wildlife Sanctuary, Dover
Brookside Wildlife Sanctuary, South Hampton
Charles Henry & Mabel Lamborn Watts Wildlife Sanctuary (Watts), Effingham
Dahl Wildlife Sanctuary, Conway
Deering Wildlife Sanctuary, Deering
dePierrefeu-Willard Pond Wildlife Sanctuary (Willard Pond), Antrim/Hancock
Farley Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, Hollis/Nashua
Ines and Fredrick Yeatts Wildlife Sanctuary, Warren
Kensan Devan Wildlife Sanctuary (Meetinghouse Pond), Marlborough
Kwaks/Smith Sisters Wildlife Sanctuary (Follett’s Brook), Newmarket/Durham
Massabesic Center/Battery Point Wildlife Sanctuary, Auburn (ADA accessible)
McLane Center/Silk Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Concord (ADA accessible)
Newfound Center/Paradise Point Wildlife Sanctuary (& Hebron Marsh), Hebron
Pondicherry Wildlife Sanctuary, Jefferson/Whitefield
Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, Amherst
Popple Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Epsom
Proctor Wildlife Sanctuary, Center Harbor
Samuel Myron Chase Wildlife Sanctuary, Hopkinton
Stoney Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Newbury

Resources

Quick Start Guide to iNaturalist — NH Audubon Nature Challenge

Quick Start Guide to eBird — NH Audubon Nature Challenge

Nature Challenge FAQ

Nature Challenge Webinar

Show your support with our branded shirts while participating in the Nature Challenge. We have two different T-shirt and hoodie styles to choose from with lots of color options.

Thank you to all participants of the 2025 NH Audubon Nature Challenge

From June 22-28, over 70 participants worked to inventory the species on 23 NH Audubon wildlife sanctuaries. Using eBird and iNaturalist, 3,835 observations of plants, animals, fungi, and more were observed and recorded, documenting 845 different species.

Watch the 2025 webinar to learn more about the challenge and how to use eBird and iNaturalist, both free platforms. You can also use these links to view the data collected during the challenge:

NH Audubon Nature Challenge iNaturalist Data

NH Audubon Nature Challenge eBird Data (you will need to register for an account to view this page)

To view sanctuary observations and continue to submit your own data through iNaturalist and eBird, visit each NH Audubon sanctuary webpage.

Photos from the top: Erin Burger uses iNaturalist to document a sanctuary plant, by Anita Fernandez; Anita Fernandez photographs a bird to document its presence on the Silk Farm Sanctuary in eBird, by Erin Burger.

Explore our birding-specific websites:

Register for a program