The Africa Open Biodiversity Campaign is set to promote the documentation of the remarkable biodiversity of the African continent on Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons). This would help to advocate and support the current biodiversity conservation efforts while bridging the knowledge gap about African content on Wikimedia projects. The campaign would involve a photography contest where photographs of plant and animal species on the African continent would be captured, which might result in the discovery of new species. These pictures would also improve Wikipedia articles where relevant and necessary. This would add visualisation to the biodiversity of the African continent, and it would help promote the principles of Open science in Africa.
| The Africa Open Biodiversity Campaign | |
|---|---|
| A WikiCred 2022 Grant Proposal | |
| Project Type | Other |
| Author | (Timmylegend) |
| Contact | isaacoloruntimilehin gmail.com |
| Requested amount | $4,500 (USD) |
| Award amount | Unknown |
- What is your idea?
- Why is it important?
Biodiversity in Africa continues to decline, with ongoing losses of species and habitats. Africa contains remarkable biodiversity, including the most intact assemblages of large mammals on Earth. However, species abundance is in decline, and the threats to species are increasing. Documenting the biodiversity of Africa on Wikipedia and its sister project would help to stem the current decline. The project is important because it aims: To promote the quality, reliability, and credibility of Wikipedia articles. To promote the uploading of African biodiversity photos on Wikimedia Commons To attract and connect our readers to Wikipedia articles To engage existing volunteers
- Link(s) to your resume or anything else (CV, GitHub, etc.) that may be relevant
https://linkedin.com/in/isaacoloruntimilehin https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Timmylegend
- Is your project already in progress?
No, it's just starting. It will commence on January 15, 2023, and end on February 28, 2023.
- How is this project relevant to credibility and Wikipedia?
The project is crucial because having access to trustworthy information on any topic is a basic human right. Any written, audio or visual information should be accurate, trustworthy, and credible. This project would promote the credibility of African biodiversity on Wikipedia. An article's photos can convey information more effectively than text, strengthening its credibility. Since articles containing images are more likely to be read and regarded as reliable, they draw attention. The project would make readily available the pictures and videos to do this.
- What is the ultimate impact of this project?
The ultimate impact of this project is to improve the quality, reliability, and credibility of African biodiversity on Wikipedia and its sister projects. At least 1000+ articles would be improved and 2000+ photos of African biodiversity uploaded.
- Can your project scale?
Yes
- Why are you the people to do it?
We have a track record of successfully initiating and completing projects that address knowledge gaps on the African continent. In the Wikimedia movement, we have organised over 25 programs (virtual and physical) with 603 editors participating, which resulted in the creation of 5,350 articles and the release of 4,580 images under open licenses and has been viewed over 103 million times. We have mentored and advised ten members of the Wikimedia community at the University of Ilorin to execute various projects and secure funding of about $15,000 for their projects addressing knowledge gaps.
- What is the impact of your idea on diversity and inclusiveness of the Wikimedia movement?
We planned to reach out to all interested affiliates and local communities (Chapters & User Groups) within the Wikimedia movement in Africa. The prizes would also reward a diversity of contributions. The project would help to bridge the African and biodiversity content gap.
- What are the challenges associated with this project and how you will overcome them?
Some identified challenges are: Monitoring and evaluation: We have identified a tool to track activities, including the number of participants and articles improved with metrics. Funding: WikiCred provides an opportunity for funding this project, and we are excited that our project aligns with the mission of WikiCred. Community Engagement: There are little or no conversations about documenting the biodiversity of Africa within the Wikimedia movement. We hope this campaign will bring together people interested in bridging this knowledge gap.
- How will you spend your funds?
Prizes - 1500 USD Social Media Promotions - 600 USD Communications - 300 USD Swags - 300 USD Zoom meeting subscription - 100 USD Project management - 1200 USD Miscellaneous - 500 USD
- How long will your project take?
Two months
- Have you worked on projects for previous grants before?
Yes, Wikimedia rapid and project grants.