Record of reported species: Styria wins the global City Nature Challenge

The larva of the antlion was spotted in Austria for the first time this year as part of the City Nature Challenge. The net-winged insect is related to the lacewing. Photo: Gernot Kunz

Observers in Styria recorded 4,660 different animals, plants and fungi as part of the international City Nature Challenge between 24 and 27 April 2026. This saw the region take first place in the "species" category. Ostrava in the Czech Republic made the most observations, with just under 140,000, whilst the San Francisco Bay Area had the highest number of participants, namely 3,019.

The aim of the City Nature Challenge is to document as many wild animal, plant and fungus species as possible in the immediate vicinity over a four-day period and upload them to the iNaturalist platform. These records are analysed and classified by experts, thereby making them scientifically usable. Gernot Kunz, a biologist at the University of Graz and the Universalmuseum Joanneum, played a key role in organising Styria’s participation. 764 nature enthusiasts submitted almost 61,000 records of 4,660 different registered species. Gernot Kunz discovered the antlion for the first time in Austria, the larva of a net-winged insect. A plant discovered for the first time in Styria is the Water Crowfoot.
For the City Nature Challenge in the Styria region, the University of Graz and the Universalmuseum Joanneum (UMJ) collaborated with, amongst others, the Berg- und Naturwacht and the Blaurackenverein Graz. Around 300 school pupils also contributed their observations. Researchers from the University of Graz and the UMJ helped to identify the species.

Dagmar Eklaude

Related news

Studying at the University of Graz: How to enrol

Ready for a new chapter in your life with the start of your studies at the University of Graz in the winter semester 2026/27? Here you will find information on deadlines, admission procedures, registration, and everything else you need to successfully start your studies in the fall.

Europe Day: Strengthening international expertise with Arqus

On 9 May, the spotlight will be on Europe. At the University of Graz, European cooperation is also a tangible part of everyday student life – not least through the Arqus university alliance. Master’s and PhD students can currently register for the Arqus micro-credential in ‘Advanced Creative Thinking and Communication’.

A substantial community: the key role of soil crusts in the earth system

They are often overshadowed by the plant world: lichens, fungi, mosses and bacteria, which form unique communities on rocks and trees or as soil crusts. Bettina Weber from the University of Graz is bringing this biological alliance into the research spotlight. Her research shows that these communities form an essential part of the Earth’s critical zone and play a key role in the interactions between land and atmosphere. Bettina Weber was honoured by the European Geosciences Union for her groundbreaking research at the beginning of May.

The digital world of tomorrow: University of Graz works with people to shape the future

Digitalisation is supposed to make everything better: artificial intelligence that even organises travel. The car that drives itself. Robots that care for us in our old age. But what kind of future do people actually want? What role should technology play in this? The University of Graz is exploring these questions through a new research facility. At the Graz Sociodigital and Participatory Futures Studio – or GraSP Futures Studio for short – young and old work together with researchers to design visions of the future that also critically examine technical innovations.