Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to announce Wiki Loves Earth 2019 — the 6th edition of Wiki Loves Earth international photo contest, which will take place in May and June this year. 

Just a quick reminder: Wiki Loves Earth is focused on natural heritage (protected natural areas of all possible types) in different countries. Like Wiki Loves Monuments, the contest is organized primarily by local organizers – meaning that it depends only on YOU and your affiliate/group whether the contest will take place in your country.

Last year we had 33 participating countries organizing local contests, and we hope to welcome all of them, along with new participants, in Wiki Loves Earth 2019.

First of all, we would like to gather your feedback on the previous year's WLE: what was good and what could be better. It will help us improve the rules and the organizing process.

Secondly, we can send out some WLE-branded souvenirs for you to distribute among your local communities to promote the next WLE contest. You can distribute them within your country for your national winners, jury members, volunteers and present or future partners. For that, we will need to collect your postal address and the number of souvenirs you need.

For these two purposes, we have created one form — https://goo.gl/forms/geDO2vSWS6I9RWGl2, which you are invited to fill. Please try to fill it out no later than by the end of the next week.

To declare your participation, please add your country to https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Earth_2019/Participating_countries. If you don't have much experience in organizing WLE, you can learn more on how to organize a contest in your country (it’s not that difficult!) here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Earth_2019/Organise. Alternatively, you can ask us in response to this email.

The most important things to join are:

    

* If you need additional finances to cover expenses and buy prizes, please apply for a rapid grant from the Wikimedia Foundation. WMF disburses grants for up to 2000 USD in this programme. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible because there've been delays in reviewing rapid grants proposals recently. For example, have a look at this rapid grant application for Latvia: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Rapid/UG_LV/Wiki_Loves_Earth_Latvia_2017 and Moldova: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Rapid/Gik%C3%BC/Wiki_Loves_Earth_2017_in_Moldova

* The action plan for jury tool is the same as last years: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Earth_2017/Jury_tools. 

* We can help you by sharing your interesting stories on the blog or social media pages of international WLE.