Wikimedia CEE Hub/Microgrants/Applications 2026/MG-09
statusfunded
Photographic Expedition to the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve for Wiki Loves Earth 2026
To prepare and capture photographs of the spring landscapes of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve for the Wiki Loves Earth 2026 competition. The project aims to promote the conservation and appreciation of the natural heritage of the reserve through professional photo and video documentation of its landscapes, wildlife, and vegetation.
targetWikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata
proposed start date1 April
proposed end date1 July
budget (EUR)700 EUR
grant typeaffiliate
applicant• Tajik Wikimedians User Group
organization• Tajik Wikimedians User Group
This is a generated Meta-Wiki page by the CEE Hub Staff. The page was copied from the specific Google Form, where grantees has submitted their application for the CEE Hub Microgrant programme. Please do not make any changes. Use the discussion page for your feedback.
Basic information
[edit]- You are applying as
- Wikimedia Affiliate
- Your name(s)/Organisation name
- Your username(s)
- What is your role in the movement?
- Editor, project volunteer of Tajik Wikimedians User Group
- If you are a part of a WM community, please state its name here
- Have you applied for any Wikimedia Foundation grant or any other grant before?
- Yes
- Name of your proposed microgrant project
- Photographic Expedition to the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve for Wiki Loves Earth 2026
- Proposed start date of the project
- 1 April 2026
- Proposed end date of the project
- 1 July 2026
- In which CEE country/ies will the project activities be implemented?
- Tajikistan — in the Khatlon region, within the Tigrovaya Balka State Nature Reserve.
Project information
[edit]- What is the main goal of your project?
- To prepare and capture photographs of the spring landscapes of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve for the Wiki Loves Earth 2026 competition. The project aims to promote the conservation and appreciation of the natural heritage of the reserve through professional photo and video documentation of its landscapes, wildlife, and vegetation.
- It will raise public awareness of Tajikistan’s biodiversity and support Wikimedia’s mission of making free knowledge about natural heritage available globally. By capturing and sharing visual materials, the project will enrich Wikimedia Commons and related Wikipedia articles, highlighting Tajikistan’s only UNESCO World Heritage natural site
- Describe which activities you plan to implement
- Conduct a two-day field trip to the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve, with a small team of photographers and Wikimedians.
- Day 1 – Arrival and Exploration of Key Ecosystems
08:00–09:00 – Departure from Dushanbe and transfer to the Reserve 09:00–12:00 – Registration, safety briefing, overview of protected zones 12:00–13:00 – Lunch break 13:00–17:00 – Photo & video documentation of landscapes and riparian forests; observation of characteristic fauna (Bukhara deer, birds, small mammals); 19:00 – Dinner + team discussion.
- Day 2 – Focused Filming and Summary
07:00–08:00 – Morning wildlife photography 09:00–13:00 – Targeted shooting of wetlands, tugai forests, and steppe zones; recording short educational narratives. 14:00–16:00 – Final shots, interviews with Reserve staff. 16:00–20:00 – Return to Dushanbe.
- Post-expedition work: editing, metadata, and uploading high-quality, geotagged photographs and short video clips to Wikimedia Commons.
- Use of the materials to improve and illustrate Tajik-, English-, and Russian-language Wikipedia articles related to Tajikistan’s nature and protected areas.
- Describe your team
- Zolfeqar Fatihzadeh – Wikimedia Commons coordinator, project lead in team
- Responsible for planning, coordination, reporting, categorization, and uploads.
- Мухаммадсолех Оев – Field photographer, President of Birdwatchers Association of Tajikistan
- Leads fieldwork, captures images and footage of landscapes, birds, and mammals.
- Umed Nabiev – Field photographer, member of Birdwatchers Association of Tajikistan
- Zikrova Rasula – photgrah Organizes permits, transportation, field coordination, and assists in data entry. Helps with post-production and dissemination through local communities
- For which Wikimedia projects is the project relevant? For which communities is the project relevant? What is your target group?
- Relevant to Wikimedia Commons,Wikipedia, and Wikidata
- Beneficiaries include the Tajik Wikimedia community, Central Asian nature enthusiasts.
- Target groups: photographers, environmental NGOs, biology students, and new volunteers interested in free knowledge and nature documentation
- Do you have any metrics for the proposed grant proposal? If yes, please fill in the number of participants, editors, organisers and content contributions (Wikipedia articles, Wikimedia Commons images, Wikidata items, etc.)
- Wikimedia Commons images uploaded: 300–600
- Short video clips for Commons: 10–20
- Wikipedia articles illustrated or improved: 10–15
- Categories created or improved: 5–8
- Participants: 5 core team members + local rangers
- Images with detailed descriptions and geotags: 90 %+
Financial information
[edit]- What is the amount that you are requesting for this grant proposal?
- 700 EUR
- Please provide the budget of your grant proposal
| Expense type | Expense details | Number of Units | Unit Price | Expense Total |
| Travel | Round-trip transport Dushanbe ↔ Tigrovaya Balka (shared for 4 people) | 1 | €260.00 | €260.00 |
| Accommodation | 2 nights × 4 people = 8 nights | 8 | €20.00 | €160.00 |
| Food/drinks | Meals for 4 people for 2 days (total 8 meals) | 8 | €20.00 | €160.00 |
| Other expense | Photography equipment & communication (batteries, memory cards, permits, internet, storage media) | 1 | €60.00 | €60.00 |
| Contingency | Unexpected shared costs | 1 | €60.00 | €60.00 |
| TOTAL | €700.00 | |||
Other
[edit]- Any additional comments or remarks about your project
- This project will focus on documenting the spring landscapes and biodiversity of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve, Tajikistan’s only UNESCO World Heritage natural site. All photos and videos produced during the expedition will be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under free licenses and used to improve related Wikipedia articles. The expedition will also help increase public awareness of Tajikistan’s natural heritage and encourage participation in the Wiki Loves Earth 2026 competition