Author: Olesia Lukaniuk

Today is International Earth Day, and it is 10 days before the start of Wiki Loves Earth 2024!

Everyone should care about the planet we live on and do everything possible to provide its growth and beauty. We encourage you to take one simple step toward it, especially today.

One of them can be organizing and participating in photo contests, which aim to depict natural heritage sites.

Very soon you will be able to upload your unique images and for the organizers to prepare the best local contest!

As well, support this Day by uploading images for the special nomination “Human Rights and Environment”.

Check the details on our page and be ready to upload from 1st May.

Happy Earth Day!

Dear WLE community, we have prepared some exciting news for you!💚
The Wiki Loves Earth 2024 has started and will last from 1st May to 31 July!

Wiki Loves Earth is an annual international photographic competition. Participants take pictures of local natural heritage in their countries and upload them to Wikimedia Commons. For all participating countries, separate competitions are organized by local teams.

🌞How can you join the contest this year as an organizer?
For that, you need the following:

• Team of volunteers with clear roles and timelines;
• Defining eligible natural sites (must be officially protected);
• Preparing a landing page for the local contest;
• Promotion for the contest in social networks;
• Jury to evaluate the photos (select top-15 local winners for an international contest);
• Awards for your winners.

Find out more about the process in our detailed guidelines for the local teams.

🌞How can you join the contest as a participant?

Read all the rules and FAQs and check the list of participating countries. Then, follow the local guidelines of your country to know when and how to upload.

• This year, we also continue to raise awareness about environmental problems, so we launched our special nomination “Human Rights and Environment” for the 4th time.
• The wide and beautiful natural heritage can be showcased, and Wikipedia articles can be illustrated not only with images but also with videos. In this special “Video” nomination, we recognize videos depicting natural monuments worldwide. Upload your beautiful videos and check the criteria here.

Follow our channels for local organizers to receive the most important information:

• Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wlecommunity/
• Telegram chat: https://t.me/+jtPfBWQVCGkzMmIy
• A mailing list for the local organizers: wikilovesearth@lists.wikimedia.org

Also, subscribe on our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

If you have any questions or need any help, please contact the international team at wle-team@wikimedia.org.ua

The contest is starting very soon, and this message is for those who are still hesitating: to join or not to join?

You still have time to contribute! Already, 37 countries are in the active stage of the preparation, and you can be the next one!

Check the list of participating countries here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/…/Participating_countries

A reminder that you need some of the criteria to start the contest:

– Team of volunteers with clear roles and timelines;

– Defining eligible natural sites (must be officially protected);

– Preparing a landing page for the local contest;

– Promotion of the contest in social networks;

– Jury to evaluate the photos (select top-15 local winners for an international contest);

– Awards for your winners.

If you have any questions or need help, please contact the international team anytime at wle-team@wikimedia.org.ua

Don’t hesitate to make your unique contribution to the Earth’s heritage!

We are waiting for your participation!

Dear WLE community!

We are pleased to introduce you to a new initiative that aims to protect endangered natural and cultural heritage.

Heritage Guard Network (HGN): Empowering Communities to Safeguard Cultural and Natural Treasures through Crowdsourced Digital Efforts aims to create long-term, sustainable networks that compile, build, and share best practices for successfully crowdsourcing data and information on cultural and natural heritage in danger.

HGN brings together formal project partners, all of which are independently registered national NGOs recognized as national representatives of the international Wikimedia movement. These include Wikimedia Sweden (Technology & Content), Wikimedia Poland (Engagement), Wikimedia UG Georgia (Legal), and Wikimedia Ukraine (Risk), alongside two Hub initiatives, the Content Partnerships Hub and the Central and Eastern European Hub.

These entities share a common mission through the project and will exchange knowledge and experience, primarily through online workshops and conferences.

Read more about this initiative here: https://diff.wikimedia.org/…/a-new-initiative-aims-to…/

We invite all interested volunteers and experts, including representatives of cultural institutions, to join our soon-to-be-launched brainstorming meetings.

If you are interested in joining a working group, according to your interests and expertise, you can show interest by contacting us at hgn@wikimedia.ge.

Are you the one who consistently questioned: Why is my country not on the list of participating countries for Wiki Loves Earth?

That’s precisely the time to fix it and organize a local WLE yourself!

Already, 21 countries have decided to join WLE in 2024, and we also want to see your country on the list!

Check the list of participating countries and hurry up to put there yours: https://commons.wikimedia.org/…/Participating_countries

Don’t have experience in organizing the contest?

That’s not a problem! Text us at wle-team@wikimedia.org.ua, and we’ll send you a detailed guide and help you with your steps.

Check the criteria to start the contest: https://commons.wikimedia.org/…/Commons:Wiki…/Organise

Don’t hesitate to make your unique contribution to the Earth’s heritage!

We are waiting for your participation!

The wide and beautiful natural heritage can be showcased, and Wikipedia articles can be illustrated not only with images but also with videos. In this special nomination, we recognize videos depicting natural monuments worldwide.

If you are a local organizer, you can decide whether to promote and choose the local winning videos for this nomination. However, take your time to think!

Check the page of this special nomination, where you can read all the detailed information you need to know: https://commons.wikimedia.org/…/Common…/Video_nomination

Still, having some questions?

Then we are waiting for your message at wle-team@wikimedia.org.ua.

Love our Earth, and hurry up to participate in the contest!

In 2024, the Wiki Loves Earth international photo contest, for the fourth time, supports the initiative WikiForHumanRights, which partners with the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Its goal is to raise awareness of nature protection and human impacts on nature. When we protect the environment, we also protect our fundamental human rights — rights to water, life, food, housing, and other fundamental rights that rely on a clean, healthy environment.

As in the previous year, we accept photos from the countries where the main contest is going and worldwide!

Looking for more details?

Check out our page:https://commons.wikimedia.org/…/Human_rights_and…

If you have any questions, please contact the international team at wle-team@wikimedia.org.ua.

Don’t hesitate to promote it and participate. Let’s care about our planet together!

Do you need funding for your successful organizing of Wiki Loves Earth in 2024?

Here we are with the new opportunity!

If you are willing to apply for the rapid grant from WMF, book your time and don’t hesitate to attend open office hours, where you will be guided through the process before submitting your application.

Dates for the open office:

Thursday, March 21st at 3p.m UTC

Wednesday, April 24 at 3p.m UTC

If you are interested, please let us know privately or in the comments below, and we will add you to the invitation.

Make a note that 1st April is the first priority deadline, so hurry up to join the first meeting!

If you want to know more about funding, follow this link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/…/Commons…/Organise…

Dear WLE community, we have prepared some exciting news for you!

The Wiki Loves Earth 2024 is on its way!

Wiki Loves Earth is an annual international photographic competition. Participants take pictures of local natural heritage in their countries and upload them to Wikimedia Commons. For all participating countries, there are separate competitions organized by local teams.

When? 

This year, WLE also will take place between the 1st of May and the 31st of July. We have a flexible approach regarding local dates, and local organizers decide when exactly to hold their contest within the international timeframe.

How can you join the contest this year as an organizer?

For that, you need the following:

• Team of volunteers with clear roles and timelines;
• Defining eligible natural sites (must be officially protected);
• Preparing a landing page for the local contest;
• Promotion for the contest in social networks;
• Jury to evaluate the photos (select top-15 local winners for an international contest);
• Awards for your winners.

Find out more about the process in our detailed guidelines for the local teams.

This year, we also continue to raise awareness about environmental problems so that we will launch our special nomination “Human Rights and Environment” for the 4th time.

And one more new special nomination, which can represent natural heritage in a wider way!

Stay tuned for the announcements soon!

Follow our channels for local organizers to receive the most important information:

• Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wlecommunity/
• Telegram chat: https://t.me/+jtPfBWQVCGkzMmIy
• A mailing list for local organizers: wikilovesearth@lists.wikimedia.org

Also, subscribe on our social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

If you have any questions or need any help, please contact the international team at wle-team@wikimedia.org.ua

Stay tuned for the Wiki Loves Earth 2024, and don’t hesitate to participate!

*Find translations here*

We are ready to close the last milestone of the Wiki Loves Earth 2023!

Presenting you the final report of the previous year’s contest, where you can find a detailed sum-up of all the activities that were done, an analysis of the contest, and the main results.

Here is the link to the Commons page: https://commons.wikimedia.org/…/Commons:Wiki…/Report.

Feel free to check it out and leave your questions and inputs in the comments.

And stay tuned for WLE 2024!