Paulina Sanchez is a biologist, cancer researcher, and writer. When not breaking technological barriers in the area of genome sequencing, she contributes articles on female biologists and organizes events to involve more women with editing Wikipedia.

Today marks the start of the sixth edition of Wiki Loves Monuments, the largest photography competition in the world. Thousands of Wikipedia readers and contributors from more than 30 countries around the globe will be taking part in the contest, hoping to document their local heritage, contribute to Wikipedia, and perhaps win a little prize. Here’s a preview of the competition with a special focus on a long-term participant, Italy.

Crowdfunding is the ever popular method of funding projects and ventures, particularly on the Internet. It is also growing in popularity among Wikimedia volunteers looking for funds to help them spread their knowledge. We asked some of them to share their lessons learned and suggestions they might have for future crowdfunding organizers.

Wikimedia Foundation software engineer Kunal Mehta started editing Wikipedia due to his passion for hockey and statistics. Having learned programming from Wikibooks, he now actively contributes to the software that also powers Wikipedia, and gives back to the community by mentoring new software developers.

A university teacher by profession and a Wikipedia volunteer by hobby, Leigh Thelmadatter has contributed articles ranging from Mexican dishes and beverages to biographies and churches. Today, she works with students to improve Wikipedia’s coverage of Mexico and its culture, and travels across the country in search of information worth sharing.

Jeevan Jose has been documenting the flora and fauna of one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world — one butterfly, one insect, and one plant at a time. Five years and a thousand pictures later, he’s eager to get back in the field.

When Jacek Halicki first discovered the Wiki Loves Monuments photo contest through a banner located on top of the main page of the Polish Wikipedia, not only hadn’t he realized he could actually edit Wikipedia by himself; he could never have foreseen that contributing to Wikipedia would soon become a passion and a way to overcome the barriers in his life.