Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Scaling up iNaturalist-Wikipedia integration in Brazil (ID: 23837548)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
TiagoLubiana (talk • accounts • contributions • edit count)
- Organization
N/A
- If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Scaling up iNaturalist-Wikipedia integration in Brazil
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-06-01 - 2026-11-15
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Brazil
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Not applicable
- 6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)
A group of volunteers on the Wikidata WikiProject Biodiversity are particularly active in that intersection. Some of them are also academically involved in biodiversity research, promoting widely the use of Wiki platforms in that context. Examples of the activities by the group include the organization of a symposium (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Living_Data_2025) and a publication at the Living Data conference (https://biss.pensoft.net/article/181155) as well the publication of a correspondence in Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00940-y).
The change this project aims to bring is to scale up the socio-technical infrastructure around iNaturalist connections to Wikimedia in Brazil, towards a continued role in filling biodiversity knowledge gaps.
The challenges/problems it is trying to solve include:
A wealth of openly-licensed images on iNaturalist is readily available, but not yet integrated into Wikipedia and Wikidata. ( >25M CC-BY images, >3M CC-BY-SA images and >6M CC0 images. The Commons category for iNaturalist has around 300.000 files, which is less than 1% of the openly-licensed media on the platform.
At the same time, a lot of content in iNaturalist is under Commons-incompatible licenses. For example, There are over 100.000 people that have contributed media to iNaturalist in Brazil, though (as of March 30, 2026) only 712 with CC-BY, 240 with CC0 and 156 with CC-BY-SA licenses, at around 1% of all contributors. In contrast, there are over 43.000 people using CC-BY-NC, one of the default licenses, and many of those are not aware of the limitations on reuse on Wikipedia.
While all the technical bricks are there (open APIs, compatible licensing), we still miss the sociotechnical means for iNaturalist as a first-class citizen for Wikimedia campaigns. iNaturalist provides an opportunity for metadata curation and triaging in a pre-Commons upload, and with proper tooling and protocols, it could enhance the quality and reach of campaigns.
This project approaches include
Organizing and documenting events in Brazil with a focus on generalizable insights and finding gaps in the current technical infrastructure
(in partnership with Rede Brasileira de Naturalistas, a Brazilian NGO specializing on citizen science and education through iNaturalist)
Follow a proven strategy of the 2024 and 2025, and organize the the third edition of Wiki Contest iNaturalist in Brazil, but now creating documents and protocols in English for others to replicate the strategy across the movement
Host 3 “WikiBlitz” events in different biodiversity hotspot in the Atlantic Forest, on documenting the usage of iNaturalist as a “mobile Commons Upload proxy”, framing iNaturalist as a highly-specialized middleware for contributions to Wikimedia.
The proponent has experience in organizing both kinds of events, as well as developing technical infrastructure to support them (e.g. https://wikiconcurso-inaturalist.toolforge.org/, https://inat2wiki.toolforge.org/ and https://tiago.bio.br/impact_metrics/?category=INaturalist)
The activities will enhance literacy on Wikimedia platforms and open licenses in a specialized community of biodiversity enthusiasts. The target group is already familiar with online contribution platforms and regularly document rare and endangered biodiversity, with peer review of identifications. This is particularly relevant in Brazil, the most biodiverse country in the world (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_of_Brazil) and the second in endemic species.
Besides the improvement of critical knowledge gaps, the continuing initiative aims at strengthening the connection of both communities, contributing to the resilience of the open knowledge ecosystem.
- 7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.
(1) Wiki Contest iNaturalist in Brazil 2026 (September 1st to September 30)
A month for iNaturalist users to pick their “top 3” images in 3 categories (Vertebrates, Arthropods, Others) over the past year, ensuring a pre-selection of high-quality images.
The criteria and implementation for the contest will closely follow the past editions (https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikip%C3%A9dia:WikiConcurso_iNaturalist_no_Brasil_2024, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:WikiConcurso_iNaturalist_no_Brasil_2025), which we considered successful in providing a subset of high-quality, high-value images for Wikimedia Commons.
(2) iNaturalist & Wikipedia Day in Brazil
2.1 A single day of “WikiBlitzes” (nature observation walks with open-license iNaturalist uploads, followed by transfer of key observations to Commons, while filling knowledge gaps for the observed species).
One core in-person event will be organized by the team in an Atlantic Forest region in São Paulo, Brazil. Candidate locations include the “Alfredo Volpi” park, a rich remnant of Atlantic Forest in the São Paulo city, the University of São Paulo Biological Reserve or the “Legado das Águas” reserve, 1 hour away from São Paulo. The team has extensive experience with nature walks, and the final location will be selected via surveys with the target community, to maximize participation.
Besides the core event, the team will activate the network of collaborators for a call to decentralized participation, covering diverse regions and ecosystems in Brazil.
Tentative date for the iNaturalist & Wikipedia Day in Brazil: July 18, the Saturday before Wikimania (https://wikimania.wikimedia.org/wiki/2026:Wikimania), creating room for participants to immediately engage with the virtual activities during Wikimania.
2.2 An online workshop in Brazilian Portuguese in July 16 (2 hours, 1 h presentation + 1 hours of co-editing) preceding the event, building capacity and Wiki literacy.
An online workshop in July 30 (3 hours, 30 min presentation on the activities + 2h30 migrating content from iNat to Wikipedia with https://inat2wiki.toolforge.org/.
The Wiki Contest is a continuation of a hugely successful initiative which took place in 2024 and 2025 with the support of grants from the local Wikimedia chapter (https://br.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Apoia_2024/Propostas/WikiConcurso_Fotogr%C3%A1fico_iNaturalist_e_Conhecimento_Livre and https://br.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Apoia_2025/Propostas/II_WikiConcurso_Fotogr%C3%A1fico_iNaturalist_e_Conhecimento_Livre) . We received continuous positive feedback from the community, and prepared the technical infrastructure for continued activities. This year, we are scaling it up and adding dedicated community support and documentation, providing the means for other Wikimedia volunteers and user groups to replicate the initiative.
We noticed, in particular, that direct communication via the iNaturalist platform was the best way to engage people in a meaningful way. The tailored messages sent from human to human are impactful and appreciated in an age of AI and automation. That is why a human community manager, providing real, human support is considered important. As this task is rewarding, but time intensive, we budgeted time for a dedicated person to the task.
The second axis, the iNaturalist and Wikimedia day, is a natural continuation of other activities hosted by iNaturalist volunteers in Brazil.
Similar nature-observation events are regularly run by the partner organization, Rede Brasileira de Naturalistas, as the Great Southern Bioblitz and the City Nature Challenge (https://inaturalist.org/projects/great-southern-bioblitz-2025-umbrella and https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2025-sao-paulo-e-regiao-metropolitana)
Combining this expertise with a Wiki component creates the potential for a new regular event, with growth throughout years. Though we are focused in Brazil for the pilot, the proponent’s network (via the WikiProject Biodiversity group) includes Wikimedians across the globe. By framing it as a day with multiple, asynchronous activities (in comparison to a single “bioblitz”/edit-a-thon) we make it possible for the project to scale horizontally and reach more partners.
- 8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc. Team members involved in the grant application need to be aware of their involvement in the project.
Project is led by User:TiagoLubiana, a long time Wikimedia volunteer. He will oversee, as a volunteer, the technical components of the project as well as manage the Wikimedia Commons training. He will provide continuous support for the contractors, as well as onboard them on Wikimedia platforms.
Enrico Tosto (https://www.inaturalist.org/people/enricotosto96) and André Nogueira (https://www.inaturalist.org/people/biologodepracinha will act as contractors, overseeing the operational activities for the Wiki Contest and WikiBlitzes. They are both founding members of Rede Brasileira de Naturalista, and hold the title of “iNaturalist ambassadors” as well as the equivalent of the “sysop” status on the iNaturalist platform.
Enrico’s extensive experience with the iNaturalist community and biodiversity stakeholders in Brazil and André’s current activities in science communication make them excelling candidates for the operational support.
- 9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)
The target participants are Brazilian citizen scientists that already contribute content to iNaturalist. This crowd is already digitally literate and engaged in online collaborative projects, as well as experts in knowledge about multiple corners of biodiversity.
As mentioned previously, the targeted group regularly document rare and endangered biodiversity, with peer review of identifications.
The partner group, Rede Brasileira de Naturalistas, already does continuous engagement with the community via social media and other communication channels.
As the communication paths are already well established, follow ups and support on Wikimedia-integration of iNaturalist content will go on indefinitely.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
No
- 10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.
N/A
- 11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.
We have been discussing, documenting and refining the project for the past 2 years in the context of two separate events https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikip%C3%A9dia:WikiConcurso_iNaturalist_no_Brasil_2024 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:WikiConcurso_iNaturalist_no_Brasil_2025
This ensured the proposal reached maturity and validation before the scale-up steps.
Communications and planning with the partner organization (Rede Brasileira de Naturalistas) has also taken place through several online and in-person meetings.
The integration of iNaturalist and Wikimedia is discussed on a continuous basis with a wider biodiversity and wiki community in several places. For example, some discussion took place at the Living Data conference in Bogotá, Colombia: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Living_Data_2025. Further discussions that support the rationale of the proposal can be found on https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Biodiversity and the linked resources.
- 12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Geography
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Climate Change and sustainability
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Geographic
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
The lessons of the project can be described by the following Learning Questions:
How effective is direct, human-to-human communication via the iNaturalist platform in engaging contributors to adopt Commons-compatible licenses and/or contribute to Wikimedia?
What documentation and protocols are needed for other Wikimedia volunteers and user groups to replicate the Wiki Contest iNaturalist strategy across the movement?
What are the remaining gaps in the current technical infrastructure that prevent iNaturalist from functioning as a "first-class citizen" for Wikimedia campaigns?
What is the potential for an "iNaturalist & Wikipedia Day" with multiple, asynchronous activities to scale horizontally and engage partners across different biodiversity hotspots?
How can we best leverage the existing digital literacy and peer-review expertise of citizen scientists to fill critical biodiversity knowledge gaps on Wikipedia and Wikidata?
These learnings will be valuable for the continuation of the mutualism between iNaturalist and Wikimedia and for furthering the role of Wikimedia as a key infrastructure in the biodiversity open knowledge ecosystem.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 200 | Given the past experience with Wiki Contests and with capacity for engagement, we expect an increase to at least 150 direct participants in the contest. Besides these, we expect at least an additional 50 people to take place in the “iNaturalist & Wikipedia Day” activities, virtually or in-person in the nature observation events.
We expect around 50 returning participants from previous years and 150 new participants. |
| Number of editors | 30 | As the project leverages iNaturalist as a "middleware" for Wikimedia Commons, most participants are actively selecting and contributing images to Wikimedia, even though they are not creating an account on Wikimedia.
The "Wikipedia & iNaturalist Day" events, however, will develop direct Wiki literacy, and invite iNaturalist contributors to directly edit and improve Wikimedia projects. For that, we expect around 20 newly registered users, as well as around 10 returning editors. |
| Number of organizers | 7 | There will be 3 core organizers (Tiago, Enrico and André), described in the previous session.
Other members of the Rede Brasileira de Naturalistas NGO will also contribute planning and facilitation for the conclusion of the project. As the project unfolds, organizers from partner organizations may also join and contribute as volunteers. |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 30 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 1000 |
| Wikidata | 50 |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
The project aims at At least 500+ high quality new Wikimedia Commons images from at least 80+ photographers Filling gaps for images of 50+ taxa on Wikidata via the prioritization tooling At least 30+ pages on Portuguese Wikipedia reusing these images from Wikidata (via direct integration)
Screenshot of what you will see on Fluxx:
- 19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)
No
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)
The tracking of participants will be done by tallying the numbers provided in iNaturalist for the contest, as well as combining head counts for the in-person events and metrics for the online transmission.
For tracking editors we will use a programs and events dashboard (https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/), which also will help measure edits on Wikipedia.
Finally, for the metrics on image reuse, we will use a tracking Commons category and tools from the GLAM ecosystem as needed. Namely, we will use GLAMorous as the source of information and metrics of reuse (see https://glamtools.toolforge.org/glamorous.php?doit=1&category=Wikiconcurso+iNaturalist+2025&use_globalusage=1&show_details=1
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jUXVY4p2jnXkEATkMjr7QOC57ovFcnTAv-jWOCAkVco/edit?usp=sharing
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
13200 BRL
- 22.2. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done only to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD.
2525.05 USD
- By submitting your proposal/funding request you confirm that you have read and agree to the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy, and the Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback
[edit]Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
- Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
- Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
- Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
- Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).