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Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki Loves Earth 2023 in Serbia (ID: 22105777)/Final Report

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Rapid Fund Final Report

Report Status: Accepted

Due date: 2023-09-30T00:00:00Z

Funding program: Rapid Fund, Wikimedia Community Fund

Report type: Final

Application

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General information

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  • Title of Proposal: Wiki Loves Earth 2023 in Serbia
  • Username of Applicant: Ivan25
  • Name of Organization: N/A
  • Amount awarded: 5000
  • Amount spent: 5000 USD, 5000 USD

Part 1 Understanding your work

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1. Briefly describe how your proposed activities and strategies were implemented

During the WLE 2023 project in Serbia, a large number of activities were carried out. During the preparatory period, before the start of the competition, the focus was on updating the existing lists of protected natural assets, preparing the website, organizing volunteers, and communicating with relevant nature protection authorities. At the same time, all templates on WP and WC were updated.

Since the last WLE in Serbia, about five years have passed, leading to significant changes in the list of protected areas. More than 150 new locations were added during this time. Additionally, a special map with coordinates for all protected areas was created to facilitate participants in searching the database and locating natural landmarks.

Throughout the competition, constant supervision of submitted photographs on Commons and their categorization took place. Communication with participants was carried out via email and social media. An action to attract potential participants through social media was also conducted during the competition period, significantly increasing the visibility of the competition among Wikipedia editors and potential new members.

At the end of June, a tool for the jury (wiki jury tool) was prepared, and after the end of the contest, preparations for the voting process began. Voting took place in July and August, and at the end of August, a ceremony was organized to announce the winners and hold an exhibition. Second exhibition took place in Novi Sad.

2. Were there any strategies or approaches that you felt were effective in achieving your goals? Please describe these strategies and approaches.

We would like to emphasize three very important approaches that we consider to be the most useful and effective:

a) Organizing photo tours (increases the quantity of photographs, encourages social interaction among participants, fosters communication, and generates new ideas). b) Creating a map with locations of natural assets (an extremely useful tool with over 2,000 views during the competition). c) Collaboration with nature protection Institutes (increased the visibility of the project through the institute's online channels and media coverage).

3. Please use this space to upload media and other files that help tell your story and impact.


Field to type in URLs.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IeZqgLrlICMtR6bqgIM-rMeTb6zyiwnZn0U1gRiK4_w/edit?usp=sharing

4. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with the support of this Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals.

Our efforts during the Fund period have helped to...
A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups Not applicable to your fund
B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community Not applicable to your fund
C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups Not applicable to your fund
D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives Not applicable to your fund
E. Encourage the retention of editors Not applicable to your fund
F. Encourage the retention of organizers Not applicable to your fund

5. Is there anything else you would like to share about how your efforts helped to bring in participants and/or build out content, particularly for underrepresented groups?

N/A

Part 2: Your main learning

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6. In your application, you outlined your learning priorities. What did you learn about these areas during this period?

Despite a long hiatus, WLE 2023 in Serbia has attracted significant attention from Wikimedians and all others interested in nature conservation and photography. The hiatus has left "consequences" in the form of outdated lists of natural protected areas, but it has also demonstrated that the public has a craving for a photo competition that focuses on nature and its protection.

In this edition of the photo competition, there are several returning participants from previous competitions, indicating that WLE continues to be popular among older participants. Based on the successful edit-а-thon, it is clear that WLE attracts nature enthusiasts and topics related to nature protection. During its duration, there were many inquiries regarding the organization of the project itself and interest from individuals or groups/institutions (such as the Institute for Nature Conservation, tourist organizations, and others) in helping and participating.

Maybe the most important acknowledgement is that the whole project is set up on a completely new foundation with good infrastructure, team and exceptionally strong partners. Lessons learned from previous WLM 2022 was very helpful, and mutual cooperation between these projects is a solid base for the future editions to become increasingly more attractive and more popular.

7. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities?This can include both positive and negative situations. What did you learn from those experiences?

Exceptionally poor weather in May and the first half of June, was potential problem. During the first 30 days, there were more than 20 rainy days and floods in some parts of the country. However, even so, participants found the way to make photos all around the country.

Throughout the entire project, collaboration was established with Nature Protection Institutes, certain tourist organizations, the local edition of National Geographic, and individuals from across the country. These cooperations were extremelly importnat in boosting visibility of WLE and giving a bigger importance to the public.

Very good outcome was unexpected cooperation with the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, which gave us the opportunity to hold the winning ceremony in their gallery, and also made their space available for the inaugural exhibition. Second one took place in the Institute for Nature Protection in Novi Sad.

8. How do you hope to use this learning? For instance, do you have any new priorities, ideas for activities, or goals for the future?

Weather is something which is fairly unpredictable, so our main goal in the future will be to at least have basic idea what are the long-term predictions fot the upcomming months.

Fantastic cooperation with Insitutes and a few tourist organizations will be a basic foundation for the next edition, since the preparation has already started. Both Institutes are very interested in this competition so they are eager to particate, and even have some additional ideas for project imporvment.

Collaboration between WLE and WLM in Serbia is extraordinarily important since lessons learned in both projects can be easily applicable across. Also, competitors from WLE could be potential participants in WLM and vice versa.

9. Documentation of resources: Use this space to upload any documents that would be useful to share with others (e.g. communications material, training material, presentations).


Here is an additional field to type in URLs.

N/A

Part 3: Metrics

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10a. Open Metrics reporting

In your application, you defined some open metrics and targets (goals). You will see a table like the one below with your metric in the title and the target you set in your proposal automatically filled in. Use the tables to report the result. Use the comments column to describe any aspects of this result that you find relevant. If the results were different from the initial target (goals) then you can explain why and what you learned from this. You can also provide any qualitative analysis regarding these results. In the last column please describe the tools and methodology used to collect this data and any difficulties you might have had.

Open Metrics Summary
Open Metrics Description Target Results Comments Methodology
Participants in photo competition 40 85 This metric is more than doubled, which is very big success. https://wikiloves.toolforge.org/earth/2023
Editors edit-a-thon, photo update, writing, checking 15 15 8 participants in edit-a-thon, two volunteers on checking, three volunteers on updating, two on communication activities. Collecting date through Wiki
Photos number of uploaded photos 1500 2704 Exceptionally good result, which overtook our goal for more than +80% https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Images_from_Wiki_Loves_Earth_2023_in_Serbia
Articles number of newly added and improved articles 100 100 37 written articles, 4 improved and 60+ updated. sr.wikipedia.org, calculation
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

10b. Core Metrics reporting

In your application, you defined targets for some core metrics and targets (goals). You will see a table like the one below with each core metric in the title and the target you set in your proposal automatically filled in. Use the tables to report the result. Use the comments column to describe any aspects of this result that you find relevant. If the results were different from the initial target (goals) then you can explain why and what you learned from this. You can also provide any qualitative analysis regarding these results. In the last column please describe the tools and methodology used to collect this data and any difficulties you might have had. Note: a table will appear for each Wikimedia project content contribution you defined in your proposal.

Core Metrics Summary
Core metrics Description Target Results Comments Methodology
Number of participants competition: 40, edit-a-thon: 15 55 100 Around 80% of all participant are new, which is very encouriging for the future editions. https://wikiloves.toolforge.org/earth/2023
Number of editors edit-a-thon, photo update, writing, checking 15 15 8 participants in edit-a-thon, two volunteers on checking, three volunteers on updating, two on communication activities.
Number of organizers N/A 30 Organizers, Wiki volunteers, participants from Institutions related with the event. Counting
Number of new content contributions per Wikimedia project
Wikimedia Project Description Target Results Comments Methodology
Wikipedia number of new/improved articles 100 100 including newly added/improved articles and related topics, with updated articles too. sr.wikipedia.org
Wikimedia Commons number of uploaded photos 1500 2704 exceptionally good result, after very long hiatus. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Images_from_Wiki_Loves_Earth_2023_in_Serbia
Wikinews number of news 15 15 N/A https://sr.wikinews.org/wiki/Категорија:Вики_воли_Земљу
Wikidata number of natural heritage sites 50 50 newly added 35 and updated/improved 15 wikidata.org
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

12. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? This could include things like a lack of time or resources, or the expertise in your team to collect this data. It could also include difficulties with particular data collection tools.

No

12a. State what difficulties you had.

N/A

12b. How do you hope to overcome these challenges in the future? Do you have any recommendations for the Foundation to support you in addressing these challenges?

N/A

13. Use this space to upload any documents and provide links to any tools you have used that would be useful to understand your data collection (e.g., surveys you have carried out, communications material, training material, program and event dashboard link, project page on Meta).


Here is an additional field to type in URLs.

N/A

14. Have you shared these results with other Wikimedian communities (either affiliates, user groups, volunteers, etc., different to yours)? This can include things such as data and direct outcomes, lessons you have learned, or information on how to run or recreate your programs.

Yes

14a. If yes or partially, please describe how you have already shared them and if you would like to do more sharing, and if so how.

All results have been shared via Wiki projects, internal mailing lists, and also during prize giving event/exhibitions.

Part 4: Financial reporting and compliance

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15. & 14a. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency.

5000 USD

16. Please state the total amount spent in USD.

5000 USD

17. Please report the funds received and spending in the currency of your fund.

17a. Upload a financial report file.


17b. Please provide a link to your financial reporting document.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Os8XiGg9622tCDMkcRG01E2kfbrIvBJW2OJzqm9nG_M/edit?usp=sharing

As required in the fund agreement, please report any deviations from your fund proposal here. Note that, among other things, any changes must be consistent with our WMF mission, must be for charitable purposes as defined in the grant agreement, and must otherwise comply with the grant agreement.

17c. If you have not already done so in your budget report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal.

Changes are within the agreed limits, related with prices fluctuations and inflation.

18. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?

No

18a. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.

N/A

18b. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?

N/A

18c. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.

N/A

19. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?

Yes

20. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?

Yes

21. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.

Yes

22. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here.

N/A

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