Help:Contributor's Guide

The Natura Libanotica project requires volunteers to maintain and update the information and photos presented on the platform. We therefore invite everyone passionate about the biodiversity of Lebanon to join us in our effort. Whether you are a photographer, a wildlife expert, or simply someone interested in nature, there are various ways you can contribute. From sharing photos, to creating and updating species pages, everyone is encouraged to contribute at their own level.

Share photos

As a citizen-science project, we highly welcome contributions of photos from nature enthusiasts like you. Your photos play a vital role in documenting the biodiversity of our country and advancing the project. Whether it's a wild plant or insect in your garden, or an interesting bird or mushroom you encountered during a hike, your images will help us illustrate and enhance our species database, while also supporting research, education, and conservation efforts.

If you are an expert who wants to regularly contribute with photos of correctly identified species, you can create an account and upload the photos by yourself.

In case you can't identify the species, simply send us clear photos either by email or on WhatsApp, along with the location and other observation details. Please note that the location and all communicated details will be kept private, but it is important to mention them in your inquiry to help us accurately identify the species, sometimes a photo isn't enough to accurately identify a species.

Together, we can document our national natural heritage.

File format

To ensure efficient photo archiving, we ask that files uploaded to our platform adhere to a standard format of name, file type and size. Please consider the following requirements:

File type and size

Note that only .jpg and .jpeg files under 0.5MB or 500KB are allowed.

Standard name format

Please name your files to match the required format: Species name Ph. Name (YEAR)

For example, a photo of Vulpes vulpes, photographed by John Smith in 2024 would give: Vulpes vulpes J. Smith (2024)

Special cases

• For parts of a species, add the part name: Species name (part) Ph. Name (YEAR) e.g. Malus trilobata (leaves) J. Smith (2024)

• For illustrations/drawings, add the word "illustration": Species name (illustration) Ill. Name (YEAR) e.g. Erithacus rubecula (illustration) J. Smith (2024)

• For multiple photos of a species (as the platform doesn't let duplicate names), add a letter at the end: Species name Ph. Name (YEARletter).jpg e.g. Tribulus terrestris J. Smith (2024a)

Non-identified species

Please avoid uploading non-identified species on the platform. Send them directly to us so we help you identify them and then you can upload with the correct names.

Write articles

We are looking for people passionate about wildlife to join us as volunteer editors on the platform. As an editor, your role will be writing and updating species information within your domain of expertise. Should you have some free time and wish to make a significant contribution, your knowledge and experience would greatly benefit the project. Your participation will help ensure the accuracy and relevance of our content.

Simply create an account and start writing right away, following the guidelines given in the Editor's Guide. Please note that all edits are reviewed first by verified experts before being published. We adopted this peer-reviewing method to combat spam and misinformation.

Review edits

While anyone can create an account on this platform and write about any species, not all edits make their way to the public. Only specific users/moderators who have the "Verified Expert" role can moderate the content of the platform and accept or reject edits made by other users. This role also gives verified experts the ability to auto-accept their edits instead of having to wait another moderator to do it.

If you meet the expertise requirement and are interested in this position, we encourage you to email us your request with a motivation letter. After confirming your status, we will be happy to have you among us.

Help correct inaccuracies

We are deeply committed to ensuring the scientific accuracy of all content provided on this platform and through our social media channels. If you come across any inaccuracies or outdated information, don't hesitate to directly edit them or report them to us via email. Please also include links to the references you consulted, as this will help us investigate the matter faster and make the necessary corrections.