Best Practices
Advanced tips and strategies to maximize your impact documentation quality and get faster approvals.
Photo Documentation Excellence
Before/After Mastery
Perfect Framing:
Stand in exact same spot for both photos
Use a landmark to mark your position
Keep phone at same height/angle
Landscape orientation for wide areas
Portrait for tall subjects (trees)
Timing:
Take "before" right before starting work
Take "after" immediately upon completion
Don't wait days (conditions change)
Document progress for long projects
Evidence Clear:
Show full scope of work
Include context (surroundings)
Make change obvious
Avoid ambiguous photos
Lighting & Quality
Best Practices:
✅ Natural daylight (mid-morning or late afternoon)
✅ Overcast days (even lighting, no harsh shadows)
✅ Clean camera lens
✅ Steady hands (or use timer)
✅ Multiple angles for complex work
Avoid:
❌ Direct noon sun (harsh shadows)
❌ Nighttime photos (poor visibility)
❌ Backlit subjects (silhouettes)
❌ Extreme close-ups only (no context)
❌ Blurry or out-of-focus shots
Composition Tips
Include for Scale:
Tool (shovel, rake) for reference
Your hand or body
Known object (water bottle, ruler)
Multiple subjects for counting
Show Full Context:
Wider shot showing area boundaries
Nearby landmarks (buildings, trails)
Adjacent work areas
Geographic features
Detail Shots (as third photo):
Plant species identification
Quality of workmanship
Specific techniques used
Close-up of results
Accurate Metric Reporting
Counting & Measuring
Physical Counting:
Count by hand, don't estimate
Use tally counter for large quantities
Group in sets of 10 for easy counting
Double-check totals
Area Measurement:
Use phone GPS apps (e.g., Measure, Google Maps)
Pace it out (1 pace ≈ 1 meter)
Use measuring tape for precision
Square meters preferred (100 sqm = 10m x 10m)
Time Tracking:
Note start and end times
Include breaks if significant
Round to nearest 15 minutes
Be honest about effort
Common Mistakes
Avoid:
❌ Rounding excessively (15 → "about 20")
❌ Estimating without basis
❌ Inflating numbers to impress
❌ Forgetting to count items
Do Instead:
✅ Count carefully
✅ Note if estimation (e.g., "~50 estimated")
✅ Be conservative if unsure
✅ Explain methodology in notes
Metric Conversions
Know Your Units:
1 hectare = 10,000 sqm
1 acre = 4,047 sqm
1 sqm = 10.76 sq ft
1 km = 0.62 miles
Preferred Units:
Area: Square meters (sqm)
Distance: Meters (m) or kilometers (km)
Weight: Kilograms (kg)
Time: Hours and minutes
Context & Storytelling
What to Include in Notes
Challenges Overcome:
"Steep slope required extra erosion control measures"
"Had to hand-carry tools 1km due to no vehicle access"
"Worked around heavy rain, covered seedlings"
Observations:
"Saw 3 different bird species using new nest boxes"
"Soil quality much better than expected"
"Local residents stopped to ask questions and express thanks"
Collaboration:
"Worked with 5 community volunteers"
"Coordinated with adjacent garden's planting schedule"
"Local school brought 20 students to help"
Learning & Innovation:
"Tried new mulching technique that saved time"
"Learned about native species from elder"
"Adapted approach based on previous submission feedback"
What NOT to Include
Avoid:
❌ Complaints about other gardeners
❌ Irrelevant personal information
❌ Off-topic rambling
❌ Negative comments about operators/garden
Keep It Professional:
Fact-based observations
Constructive notes
Relevant context
Positive framing
Action Selection Strategy
Choose the Right Action
Match Your Work:
Read action descriptions carefully
Ensure your work meets ALL requirements
Don't force-fit work to wrong action
Ask operator if unsure
Timing:
Check start/end dates
Some actions are seasonal
Priority actions may exist
Complete time-sensitive actions first
Diversify Your Portfolio
Why Variety Matters:
Shows versatility
Develops diverse skills
Attracts different funders
Keeps work interesting
Action Types to Mix:
Planting/installation
Monitoring/observation
Maintenance/care
Education/outreach
Cleanup/restoration
Timing & Frequency
When to Submit
Best Times:
Same day as work completed
While details fresh in mind
During good internet connection
When you can ensure quality
Avoid:
Weeks after work done (memory fades)
Rushing right before deadline
Batching unrelated work together
Late at night when tired
Submission Frequency
Ideal Cadence:
Regular contributors: 2-4 submissions per week
Casual contributors: 1-2 per month
Event-based: After each major project
Avoid:
Overwhelming operators with 10+ at once
Long gaps (months) between submissions
Daily submissions of tiny tasks (batch small work)
Working Across Multiple Gardens
Managing Multiple Memberships
Organization:
Clearly identify which garden for each work
Understand each garden's standards
Build relationships with each operator team
Track your stats per garden
Action Differences:
Same work type may have different names
Metrics requirements vary
Standards may differ
Respect each garden's culture
Building Multi-Garden Reputation
Benefits:
Diverse impact portfolio
Multiple operator references
Broader skill development
More funding opportunities
Strategy:
Start with 1-2 gardens
Build approval rate (>80%)
Then expand to more
Maintain quality across all
Seasonal & Weather Considerations
Weather Documentation
Include in Notes:
Extreme conditions ("100°F heat, extra water needed")
Unusual weather impact
Adaptations made
Safety considerations
Photo Adjustments:
Overcast is actually ideal (even lighting)
After rain: Shows soil condition, wetlands clearly
Seasonal changes: Track over time with same angles
Seasonal Work Planning
Spring:
Focus on planting
Document germination
Install infrastructure
Summer:
Maintenance and watering
Growth monitoring
Education events
Fall:
Harvest documentation
Seed collection
Habitat preparation
Winter:
Planning and preparation
Indoor work (seed sorting)
Monitoring (wildlife, dormancy)
Efficiency Tips
Batch Photography
For Multiple Tasks Same Day:
Take all "before" photos first
Complete all work
Take all "after" photos
Submit each task separately (don't combine)
Prepare in Advance
Before Going to Site:
Review action requirements
Bring necessary tools
Check phone battery (for photos)
Download offline maps
Note exact task location
Use Templates
Consistent Language:
Develop your photo naming system
Use similar structure in notes
Copy/adapt previous good submissions
Save common phrases for reuse
Quality Over Quantity
Approval Rate Matters
Better:
10 submissions, 9 approved (90%)
Shows quality work
Builds trust with operators
Attracts funding
Worse:
50 submissions, 25 approved (50%)
Suggests rushed work
Requires more operator time
May hurt reputation
When to Slow Down
Red Flags:
Multiple recent rejections
Feedback mentions same issues
Approval rate dropping
Feeling rushed or stressed
Reset Strategy:
Pause new submissions
Review all feedback
Improve one aspect at a time
Do 1-2 exemplary submissions
Rebuild approval rate
Then increase frequency
Communication & Relationships
With Operators
Be Professional:
Respect their time
Accept feedback gracefully
Ask questions when needed
Thank them for approvals
Improve Review Speed:
Submit complete, clear work
Follow guidelines exactly
Include all required info
Make their job easy
With Fellow Gardeners
Collaborate & Learn:
Share tips in community channels
Learn from high-approval gardeners
Help newcomers
Celebrate others' work
Friendly Competition:
Track cumulative impact together
Motivate each other
Share recognition
Build community
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Documentation Errors
❌ Don't:
Use stock photos or old photos
Submit duplicate work
Claim others' work as yours
Exaggerate impact
✅ Do:
Document YOUR work only
Fresh photos every time
Honest metrics
Give credit where due
Technical Mistakes
❌ Don't:
Ignore offline queue management
Let failed syncs pile up
Forget to check submission confirmation
Assume everything uploaded
✅ Do:
Monitor sync status
Retry failed uploads
Verify confirmation
Check Work Dashboard regularly
Relationship Mistakes
❌ Don't:
Argue with operators publicly
Complain about rejections
Rush operators for faster reviews
Take feedback personally
✅ Do:
Communicate respectfully
Learn from rejections
Be patient with reviews
Treat feedback as learning
Advanced Strategies
Building Specialized Expertise
Become Known For:
Specific species identification
Particular techniques
Certain bioregions
Education/outreach
Benefits:
Operator trusts your submissions
Faster approvals in your domain
Consulted for planning
Funding opportunities
Documenting Long-Term Impact
Multi-Year Projects:
Same location, same angle, over months/years
Track growth and establishment
Show seasonal changes
Build compelling narrative
Example Series:
Contributing Beyond Submissions
Add Value:
Help onboard new gardeners
Suggest new actions to operators
Share technical knowledge
Lead community events
Self-Assessment Checklist
Before each submission, ask:
If all ✅: Submit with confidence! If any ❌: Improve before submitting.
Learn More
Logging Work — Step-by-step process
Tracking Contributions — Monitor your impact
MDR Workflow — Understanding the system
Gardener Quickstart — Getting started
Need Help?
💬 Community: Telegram
📖 FAQ: Reference/FAQ
🎓 Ask Operators: Your garden's communication channel
Last updated