GLAM/Newsletter/April 2026/Contents/Macedonia report
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Wikimedia MKD in Action: Digitization, Wikisource and Educational Workshops
Within the framework of Wikimedia MKD’s educational activities in 2026, a series of thematic workshops were organized with the aim of combining knowledge about biodiversity with active contribution to Wikipedia. These workshops focused on introducing students to the plant world in their immediate environment, while also providing hands-on experience in creating and improving encyclopedic content. By linking field-based learning, basic botanical knowledge, and Wikimedia editing practices, the activities encouraged participants to better understand local flora and to actively engage in documenting it through free knowledge platforms.
Training workshop “Plants Around Us“ for students from "Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi"-Skopje primary school
On April 24, 2026, the workshop “Plants Among Us” was held, intended for members of the Wiki Club at the Primary School“Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi.” The workshop was thematically focused on the plant world, with the aim of helping students gain a deeper understanding of different plant species, their characteristics, significance, and distribution, and then transform their acquired knowledge into encyclopedic articles on Wikipedia.
A total of 7 students and 1 teacher participated in the workshop, demonstrating great interest and dedication throughout the entire process. The work was organized through a combination of theoretical and practical activities. A short introductory part of the workshop included a lecture delivered by Bosa Filipović and Snežana Štrkovska. They introduced the students to the mission of Wikimedia, the importance of free knowledge, and the opportunities that Wikipedia offers as a platform for learning and sharing information. Through their presentation, they further motivated the students to actively engage in editing and creating high-quality content.
This was followed by the practical part, where students independently, but with the support of mentors, began writing and editing articles. As a result of their work, a total of 23 new articles were created, representing a valuable contribution to enriching the content of Wikipedia in the Macedonian language.
The atmosphere during the workshop was dynamic, motivating, and full of enthusiasm. Students actively collaborated, exchanged ideas, and helped one another, which further contributed to the success of the event. This hands-on learning approach proved to be very effective, as students were directly involved in the process of knowledge creation.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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The students with Snezana Strkovska -
The students listening a lecture -
The students listening a lecture -
The students listening a lecture -
The students editing on Wikipedia -
The students editing on Wikipedia
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“Plants Around Us: Kumanovo” workshop
On 1 May 2026, a workshop for members of Wiki Club Kumanovo was held under the theme “Plants Around Us: Kumanovo”. The event was dedicated to exploring plant life in the local environment, with a focus on species found in both urban and rural areas of the Kumanovo region. Its main goal was to encourage greater awareness among students about the importance of plants in everyday life and their role in maintaining ecological balance.
The workshop began with an introductory presentation by the coordinator, Stojna Arsovska Donevska, who introduced participants to basic concepts in botany and plant classification. This was followed by a discussion on the most common plant species in and around Kumanovo, highlighting their presence in parks, yards, forests, and other natural habitats. Particular attention was given to the importance of local flora as a valuable part of natural heritage that should be explored, documented, and preserved. During the theoretical segment, students actively participated in discussions and engaged in observing the natural environment around them, which helped create an interactive and collaborative learning atmosphere.
In the second part of the workshop, participants took part in a practical activity focused on editing Wikipedia articles about various plant species. Under mentorship, they applied their theoretical knowledge while developing skills in translation, selecting relevant information, and presenting content in a clear and structured way. A total of 10 students participated and created 30 new articles.
The workshop concluded with a brief group discussion, where participants shared their impressions and reflected on the knowledge gained, emphasizing the value of such activities in understanding their environment and contributing to free knowledge.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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The students with plants -
The students with plants -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
The students with the coordinator of Wiki club Kumanovo
GLAM Coordinator activities
In the following period, the GLAM Coordinator continued with the same structured and consistent approach, maintaining monthly activities focused on the digitization, documentation, and dissemination of scientific and cultural heritage materials in collaboration with relevant institutions.
On a monthly basis, the work with the Macedonian National Herbarium at the Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje was sustained, where additional endemic and rare plant species were photographed. These activities further expanded the collection of high-quality visual documentation, with new photographs of herbarium specimens uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. All materials continued to be carefully categorized, described, and integrated into relevant Wikimedia projects to ensure accessibility and long-term usability.
In parallel, the coordinator continued the digitization of literary works aimed at preserving intangible cultural heritage. Folk tales were again uploaded on a monthly basis to Wikisource within the category “Folk Tales Collected by Marko Cepenkov,” following the same process of formatting, review, and organization in accordance with Wikimedia standards.
Work on improving Wikipedia content related to endemic and rare plant species in Macedonia also continued, with further translation and expansion of articles, as well as the addition of references, structured information, and relevant media. This ongoing contribution further strengthened the quality and coverage of scientific content in the Macedonian language.
Overall, the GLAM Coordinator maintained steady and consistent output across Wikimedia platforms, continuing to combine fieldwork, digitization, content creation, and editorial work in support of open access to knowledge on Macedonia’s natural and cultural heritage.
- From the team
- Albania report
- Argentina report
- Asia report
- Australia report
- Brazil report
- Colombia report
- Italy report
- New Zealand report
- Nigeria report
- North Macedonia report
- Poland report
- Serbia report
- Switzerland report
- UK report
- USA report
- Biodiversity Heritage Library report
- Memory of the World report
- Calendar