What We Do and Why We're on IGG

Hi! I am Paola, the founder and sole proprietor of Limno Consulting, a consulting & research firm founded in 2012 to provide solutions to mitigate or fix human-caused environmental problems in inland freshwater ecosystems. I founded Limno Consulting with the idea of doing environmental consultancy, which is my passion and was professionally trained on since graduate school, and at the same time conducting some hands-on academic-level research. The original idea was that the consultancy business would have funded the research.

Unfortunately I have been experiencing a business crunch as of lately, as the larger projects have run their courses but have not been replaced by new ones in the meantime. (We ecologists live in hard times.) The research part is thriving, though, with new articles being published at a pace of 2-3 per year -- not bad for a one-person business with no in-house help.

A current, regularly updated library of ecological literature is paramount in producing informed consulting reports as it is in producing academic-level publications. Unfortunately, my being in a constant hunt for new projects, maintaining the lab, and writing the papers means that my e-library of around 8000 (and counting) PDF articles has been progressively neglected and is now (dis)organized as several unconnected folders on my computer's hard drive. So, I need someone to help me reorganize my e-library -- not an easy task!

Here is the story in more detail:

• First of all, let's frame the narrative. "Limno" refers to inland (freshwater) aquatic ecosystems, from lakes to ponds, wetlands, and streams of all sizes. So, limnology is de facto synonymous with inland (freshwater) aquatic ecology. As an ecologist, I need to integrate the biological and abiotic aspects of lake/stream ecology, though emphasis remains on the biological component, which is the component more sensitive to environmental changes. I am specialized on lake and, secondarily, stream ecosystems. I am a "lake doctor", trying to understand the causes behind some perceived lake problem, and find a "cure" once the problem has been diagnosed. Below is a view of (Lake) Østensjøvatn in the southeastern suburbs of Oslo, Norway, as an example of the type of ecosystems that I deal with. Although Østensjøvatn is a habitat for many species of water birds, it suffers from excessive inputs of algal nutrients (eutrophication) and therefore periodic algal blooms. Østensjøvatn has been the target of detailed studies to try to solve these problems. The lake is also infested with the non-native submerged plant Elodea canadensis, also the subject of several studies in which I was fortunate enough to participate as a research partner.

• As a "lake doctor", I need to keep abreast of the current knowledge on how lake ecosystems work. At the same time, I do some hands-on ecological research myself. Both activities require maintaining a current, updated library of books and scientific articles from accredited scientific journals.
• The main objective of Limno Consulting is twofold: provide and contribute to limnological know-how in aquatic environmental issues. I am also trying to expand Limno Consulting's mission to draw the attention of current and future college students to the ecology and management of inland ecosystems, the limited source of fresh/potable water for most of the world's human population. Please visit my professional website at http://www.limnoconsulting.com to learn more about limnology and what I do. If you are specifically interested in the research I do, you can visit my professional profile at ResearchGate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paola_Lombardo), where you can also take a look at and download almost all that I have published so far. Both links open in a new window.
• The scientific library at Limno Consulting currently hosts several books and around 8000 -- and counting -- scientific articles, mostly stored as environmentally-friendly PDF documents (no paper involved, so no need to kill trees). As Limno Consulting is a one-person business, I simultaneously serve as everything from janitor (the lab alone needs constant maintenance) to scientific director. As is often the case in situations like this, something gotta give, so my e-library has slowly turned into a disorganized storage of PDFs on my hard drive. Therefore, I need to hire somebody to help me sort through all this literature and reorganize the e-library, so that retrieving the needed information does not turn into a scavenging hunt every time I or my project partners need to consult a paper.

What We Need & What You Get

• All the funds raised will go into hiring a couple of persons to help me with the e-library reorganization and to renew a couple of annual subscriptions for scientific journals. The target amount also includes the estimated IGG platform and credit card fees.
• In exchange for your generosity, I have put together some ecology- and limnology-themed perks. Check them out just below!
• If this campaign does not reach the entire goal, I will hire only one person who will take the entire task on his/her shoulders, and/or I might forgo the journal subscriptions, depending on how much will be raised at the end of the campaign.
• All perk claims will be fulfilled whether the goal is reached or not.
• If the campaign raises funds in excess, the extra money will be used for additional journal subscriptions, annual dues for professional affiliations, and/or software upgrades.
• Donations can be made via credit card or PayPal. Please be aware that as per PayPal rules, only 10 guest payments are allowed per card for donors within the European Union, i.e., a single credit card can only be used 10 times to check out as a guest. Please let me know if you encounter any problems while checking out.

The Perks!

Perks are limnology- and ecology-themed and include T-shirts, mouse pads, mugs, and the 2017 Limno Consulting wall calendar, just out of the printshop.

Shipping rates are kept to a minimum, and are included for most perks going within the European Union. Mugs need special handling and shipping fees are therefore a tad higher. All perks will be shipped via regular postal service as "priority mail" within Europe and as air mail or freight mail outside Europe, also depending on what options the Post Office gives me. If you need a faster delivery via private courier, please contact me before or at the moment of address confirmation (I will send you an e-mail for that), and I can arrange that for you. 

Most perks are offered as single or double packages. If you are interested in a "special" package, or in bulk quantities, or in anything that is not listed in the perk options on the right, please contact me before you claim the perk(s), and I will work out a convenient "bulk shipping rate" for you. The idea is to avoid surcharging for multiple credit card purchases and shipping rates, as IGG does not allow the lumping of multiple perks. Once we agree on the special package perk and shipping rate, you can just pledge the money amount in the "back it" window at the top right of the campaign page, and... wait for the package to reach you! "Bulk" packages may be shipped to you directly from the supplier in The Netherlands.  For single- and double-order perks, I will adopt shipping cycles of 10-15 claims, so popular perks may be shipped even before the expected shipping time of January or February 2017. Once a batch is fulfilled, I will contact you for T-shirt size or color, address confirmation, and any other necessary piece of information. For all claimed perks, shipping will follow a "first come, first served" basis.

If you have ideas or suggestions for perk variations or new perks, please contact me!

The 2017 Limno Consulting Wall Calendar

The "featured" perk is a small (two ~16 x 21 cm sheets to form a "long" A4 or legal size format when mounted) wall calendar with 12 unique photos of lakes, streams, or aquatic organisms taken and donated by seven different contributors from all over the world. My heartfelt thanks go to Paolo, Andy, Gianluigi, Marit, Viktor, and Daniel for sharing their beautiful pictures with me! (I am the seventh contributor.)

The calendar text is in English and does not report religious holidays to keep it neutral. Most other holidays and events (like daylight saving time and solstice and equinox times) apply to Europe, North America, and Australia/New Zealand -- i.e., where I expect most of the calendars to be shipped to. Sorry for those special events that I was forced to leave out for space constraints.

In order for you to receive the calendars a.s.a.p., they will be shipped within 2-5 days from your claim. While supplies last!

The "100%" Collection

The "100%" collection includes T-shirts, baseball caps, tote bags, mouse pads, and mugs. They are offered in two designs -- 100% limnologist and 100% ecologist -- that emphasize the science-based yet fun-loving spirit of all (aquatic) ecologists. The designs are unique and are an exclusive of this campaign -- you will not find them anywhere else!

T-shirts are in a unisex cut and come in either white or black 100% cotton. Black T-shirts come with a $5 surcharge as per supplier price list. Shirt brand is Fruit of the Loom or equivalent. Print matter and T-shirt live longer with a lukewarm or cold washing machine cycle and cloth line drying or "delicate cycle" machine drying. Please refer to the chart below to choose your T-shirt size. Please keep in mind that shirts may shrink slightly upon first washing cycle, so if your size is midway two of the offered sizes below, please round it up.

Mouse pads are 3-mm thick and with a full-color "100%" print on white background. The black background faded quickly on early tests and therefore black-background mouse pads are not offered here. The pad texture allows for smooth and precise mouse movements. (I have tested it for several months by now.)

Mugs are offered in both "100%" designs and in a unique "knowledge is power" design (also an exclusive of this campaign) specifically thought for teachers, students, and book lovers of all types. All mugs feature a full-color print on white background. Unfortunately mugs require special handling and therefore shipment fees are a bit higher for mugs and mug-containing perks.

Baseball caps are 100% cotton, with the "100%" design printed on white background. Open-top canvas tote bags also are 100% cotton, with the "100%" design printed on warm (creamy) white background.  Tote dimensions are 36 cm wide x 33 cm high (or 14 in w x 13 in h). Tote bags are washable in a delicate washing machine cycle at lukewarm or cold temperature.

Please see the updates page for details about the added perks (baseball caps and tote bags).

Please contact me before claiming any perk if you need special perk packages not included in the list on the right, so we can work out the cheapest possible shipping rate.

Annual Membership to The David Pakman Show

The David Pakman Show (TDPS) is an internationally syndicated, independent talk show focusing on news and politics based in Boston, Massachusetts (USA). TDPS airs on radio, television, and the internet, and on Free Speech TV via DirecTV and DISH Network. The almost daily (Mon-Fri) podcasts are available to a global audience on TDPS own website. Podcasts are posted daily at around midday (US time) or dinner time (European time). Check out the publicly available podcasts at http://www.davidpakman.com. Members enjoy daily 45-min commercial-free podcasts (audio and video) plus an additional 15-min bonus show, and several time-limited specials, periodically offered at TDPS.

Though based in the US, TDPS reaches out to a truly global audience. TDPS discusses all topics with a critical and open mind. TDPS also reports on and discusses science, especially those topics most involved in policy making and politics, like climate change (an example is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipqkspWFito&t=15s), the antivaccination movement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TUgJogftrE), and other hot topics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAe4fVtPsCs&index=19&list=PLVrg5xLmCvhH0n1ig7zyctR1bu3f6W_ou; a still valid 2012 clip), plus interviews with scientists (check out this 2012 interview with Neil DeGrasse Tyson at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msZ790rgN7g&index=15&list=PLVrg5xLmCvhH0n1ig7zyctR1bu3f6W_ou). The TDPS YouTube channel offers science-based clips in a self-standing "Science and Technology" list.

Host David Pakman also personally interacts with his audience on a daily basis via his show and a plethora of social networks.

I am happy to offer a limited number of annual TDPS memberships at a 25% discounted price as a perk in my IGG campaign. First come, first served. For those who claim this perk, I will forward your names to TDPS and you will go from there. You might enjoy additional perks if you apply for membership when TDPS offers them (like, for example, the 2017 TDPS calendar on sale at the end of 2016). TDPS memberships run for a year starting from the time of first subscription, renewable after each 1-year cycle.

Referral Contest

You can still earn a perk if you cannot contribute, or you can add an extra perk if you have already claimed one (or more). You can do this by referring this campaign to your network of friends and coworkers via Twitter and/or Facebook. IndieGoGo tracks the contributions that stemmed from your referrals via a link to this campaign uniquely assigned to each individual referee.

The top three referrers will "win" a special perk:

1. The top referrer will have collected the most contributions adding to at least US$ 500. Special perk: one "100%" complete set ("the works!" perk on the right), with no shipping fees.
2. The second place referrer will have collected the second-highest contributions total adding to at least US$ 250. Special perk: one "100%" mini-set, with no shipping fees.
3. Third place will go to the referrer with the third-highest contributions total adding to at least US$ 150.  Special perk: your choice of one mug or any two-item combinations excluding mugs (e.g., two t-shirts, t-shirts + mouse pad, t-shirt + cap, etc.), with no shipping fees.

In case of a tie within each prize category (e.g., if there are two referrers with >US$ 250 competing for second place), the higher dollar amount will win. In case of a dollar amount tie, the referrer with the higher number of contributions (or, secondarily, visits), will win. The "loser" will get the lower-tier prize (in this example, the third-place special perk). If two referrers are still tied as number of visits, they'll both get the higher special perk.

You need to have an IndieGoGo account to be a referrer.  Referrers promote this campaign with IGG’s share tools while logged into their IGG account. This is important because otherwise such a unique ID won’t be attached to any resulting contributions or visits. When you are logged into your IGG account and use IGG’s share tools to send a tweet, for example, the link in the tweet includes your unique ID. Then, when a new backer reads the tweet and clicks through the link to contribute, you are recognized as helping bring in the amount contributed by the new backer.

How to become a referrer:

1. Log into IndieGoGo - you must be logged in to receive credits for your referrals.

2. Visit the Limno Consulting campaign page (or -- log into IGG while you are on the Limno Consulting campaign page), where you can grab your unique link to the right side of the campaign introduction (above the perk list) by clicking the "link" button (the chain button highlighted with a cyan arrow):

You'll see a pop-up with the URL. Notice the numbers at the end -- that's how I know it's you referring your friends.

3. Copy the link and start sharing!

Use your link to share the campaign on social media, email, blog posts, etc.

For example, if you would like to share via Twitter, once you have copied the unique ID link, click on the "twitter" symbol, type a brief message, and include your unique ID link.

TWITTER EXAMPLE:"Support the Limno Consulting e-library campaign on @Indiegogo:  https://igg.me/at/LimnoCampaign2016/x/12345678"

* The '12345678' number on the end will be different for everyone, as that's your unique ID.

When anyone clicks on your unique link, they are taken to the Limno Consulting campaign page. If they back the campaign, they'll be added to your referral collection.

Other Ways You Can Help

Please spread the word!!  You are welcome to use the IGG share tools, your contact network, e-mail, social networks, tam-tam, smoke signals, or anything you like!

Thanks a lot for your support!

website: http://www.limnoconsulting.com

twitter: http://twitter.com/LimnoGeek1