Wiki Loves Earth
| Wiki Loves Earth | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=logo} Official logo of Wiki Loves Earth | |
| Genre | Photography |
| Begins | May 1 |
| Ends | June 31 |
| Frequency | de |
| Location(s) | Worldwide |
| Years active | 6 |
| Inaugurated | 2013 |
| Most recent | 2019 (operating) |
| Participants | Photographers |
| Organised by | Wikipedia community members |
| Website | http://wikilovesearth.org |
Wiki Loves Earth (WLE) is an annual international photographic competition held throughout May and June, organised worldwide by the Wikipedia community members with the help of local Wikimedia affiliates across the globe. Participants take pictures of local natural heritage and scenic landscape in their countries, and upload them to Wikimedia Commons. The aim of the event is to highlight the conservation areas of the participating countries with the goal to encourage people to capture pictures of these sights, and to put them under a free license which can then be re-used not only in Wikipedia but everywhere by everyone.[1][2] The first Wiki Loves Earth competition was held in 2013 in Ukraine, and the contest became international in 2014. In 2019, 36 countries participate in the contest.
Wiki Loves Earth is sister competition of Wiki Loves Monuments, which is also an annual international photographic competition held during the month of September, organised worldwide by the Wikipedia community members and focus on local historical monuments and heritage sites. WLM according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the world's largest photography competition.[3][4]
History
The first Wiki Loves Earth competition was held in 2013 in Ukraine as a pilot project. Its head was ethnographer Yevhen Buket.[5][6] In the next years the competition become international and spread to other countries.[7] In 2014, the competition was extended beyond Europe, with a total of 16 participating countries.[8] The 2015 edition of Wiki Loves Earth has seen more than 8,500 contestants participating from 26 countries, with over 100,000 photo submissions.[9] Pakistan won grand prize in 2015 edition of Wiki Loves Earth with the photo of Shangrila Resort, located at Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.[10]
Wiki Loves Earth 2016 saw more than 7,000 participants from 26 countries, with over 75,000 photographs submitted.[11] In 2017, the contest expanded its geography more than ever before, with 36 countries participating that year and the contest reaching a record number of over 131,000 uploaded photographs. The number of participating countries slightly decreased in 2018, but the year of 2019 has again seen 36 countries taking part in the competition. Over the past several years, Wiki Loves Earth cooperated with UNESCO, holding special nominations for UNESCO biosphere reserves and UNESCO Global Geoparks.[12]
Winners
The following is a list of international first prize winners of Wiki Loves Earth:
| Photo | Year | Photographer | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2013 | Krasnickaja Katya |  Ukraine
|
Dawn in the Ai-Petri Yaila nature reserve (zakaznik). |
|
2014 | Balkhovitin | Ukraine
|
View of Carpathian National Park from Hoverla, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. |
|
2015 | Zaeem Siddiq |  Pakistan
|
Shangrila resorts, Skardu. This lake is also known as Lower Kachura lake. Central Karakoram National Park, Gilgit–Baltistan. |
|
2016 | Cedomir Zarkovic |  Serbia
|
Stopića cave is a limestone cave near Sirogojno, on the slopes of Mount Zlatibor in the Dinaric Alps. |
|
2017 | Sergey Pesterev |  Russia
|
Ogoy Island in winter, Lake Baikal, Pribaikalsky National Park. |
|
2018 | Ekaterina Vasyagina | Russia
|
Cape Stolbchaty at the Kunashir Island after sunset. Kurils Nature Reserve, Russia |
Statistics
| Year | Countries | Uploads | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 | 9,695 | 346 |
| 2014 | 14 | 62,541 | 2,889 |
| 2015 | 25 | 104,201 | 8,837 |
| 2016 | 24 | 109,936 | 13,187 |
| 2017 | 36 | 130,482 | 15,074 |
| 2018 | 32 | 89,683 | 7,645 |
References
- ^ "Wiki Loves Earth Competition to Showcase Natural Scenes of Morocco". Morocco World News. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ "Wiki Loves Earth 2015, concours international de photographie, de retour pour une deuxième édition en Algérie". Huff Post Maghreb. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ Saqib Qayyum (25 October 2014). "Wiki Loves Monuments: Top 10 pictures from Pakistan". Dawn. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ Sheharyar, Rizwan (21 September 2014). "Awaiting images worth a thousand words!". Dawn. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ Стартував фотоконкурс «Вікі любить Землю»
- ^ Семенюк Віктор. В авангарді Європи // Культура і життя. – 2015. – 1-9 січня. - №1-2 (4624-4625). – С. 4.
- ^ Guinness World Records, Largest photography competition, 2012.
- ^ "Wikipedia's second international photo contest "Wiki Loves Earth" to start on May 1". Kyiv Post. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ SAQIB, QAYYUM (4 June 2015). "Wiki Loves Earth: Top 10 pictures from Pakistan". Dawn. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ "Pakistani photo wins first place in Wiki Loves Earth contest 2015". Dawn. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Wiki Loves Earth shortlists top 10 photos in Pakistan round". DAWN.COM. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ^ "WLose yourself in our planet's beauty with the winners of Wiki Loves Earth". Wikimedia Foundation. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
External links
- Official website
- Statistics of Wiki Loves Earth (general and per each participating country)