The false narrative that cities are devoid of nature can have long lasting negative impacts on the relationships between individuals and nature, including my own. The Backyard Bats Survey was initiated to make urban nature both more visible and relevant to LA area communities. The Backyard Bat Survey has made some unexpected species detections in extremely urban areas due to the incorporation of community science, innovative technology, and accessible species into the study design. Our project’s results support the idea that urban wildlife research can not be done comprehensively or equitably without authentically embedding community engagement into a project’s design.
