City Nature Challenged: Reflections on the experience of UK City Nature Challenge Organizers

Biodiversity is declining worldwide and it is necessary to study urban areas to understand global biodiversity changes. The City Nature Challenge, an annual four- day citizen science event, collects biodiversity data globally. Research has been done into the motivations and barriers of participants in citizen science, but there is a notable gap in examining the strategies used and challenges faced by organizers of citizen science events. We examined the experiences of seven City Nature Challenge 2024 organizers in the UK using surveys, semi-structured interviews and written responses. Phenomenographic analysis identified six organizer typologies to understand the different priorities among organizers for data quality and public engagement during the City Nature Challenge, and how these priorities can influence communication strategies and project outcomes. We offer four key strategies with typology-aligned practical suggestions for effectively organizing a City Nature Challenge. We recommend further research into the experiences of citizen science organizers, especially in other cultural contexts.