Contact: Addison Motta – AMotta@WildlifeForever.org
White Bear Lake, MN – The wait is over! Wildlife Forever unveils the Official Bird List for the 2023 Art of Conservation® Songbird Art Contest featuring species across North America and those of special concern. The contest is open now until November 30th.
The Art of Conservation® Songbird Art Contest was created to generate awareness among youth about the conservation needs of songbirds. Studies have found steady population decline among all bird species over the past 50 years, with nearly 40% decline in songbird species. The Songbird Art Contest is an accessible way for students around the world to learn about the importance of songbirds, the threats they face, and what can be done to help.
2023’s Official Bird List includes:
- Painted Bunting
- Chestnut-collared Longspur
- Yellow-throated Warbler
- Northern Cardinal
- Red-winged Blackbird
To compete, students in Kindergarten-12th grade must choose one species from the Official Bird List to research and create an original, hand done illustration of their chosen songbird. Along with their art piece, students in 4th grade and above must submit a creative writing piece related to their species and its conservation needs. The deadline for submission is November 30th, 2024.
“The first step to recovering songbird species is bringing awareness to their plight and helping people feel empowered to do something about it. This year, we selected the Painted Bunting, the Chestnut-collared Longspur, and the Yellow-throated Warbler specifically because of their ‘Near Threatened’ conservation status. We hope that this program helps youth become more aware of problems songbirds are facing and the solutions to bring them back,” said Addison Motta, Education and Communications Manager at Wildlife Forever.
The Art of Conservation® programs create the next generation of stewards by providing a creative outlet focused on research, learning and self-discovery. Artists from around the world have the opportunity to win prizes and recognition while learning about songbirds, their habitats, and how they can help restore their populations.
Winners will be honored in four grade categories: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Contest results will be announced January 2024. Submit your entry today at www.SongbirdArtContest.org!
The 2023 Songbird Art Contest is supported by the USDA Forest Service.
About The Art of Conservation®: Featuring two signature programs, The Songbird Art Contest™ and Fish Art Contest™, the Art of Conservation brand celebrates the arts as a cornerstone to conservation. For over 25 years, the Fish Art program has taught youth around the world about fish and aquatic conservation. The Songbird Art program is focused on sharing the wonder and diversity of songbirds, as well as their conservation needs. Learn more at www.TheArtofConservation.org
About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America’s outdoor heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and scientific management of fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to investing resources on the ground. Recent audits reveal that 96% of every dollar supports our award-winning conservation programs. Join Today and learn more about the Art of Conservation® programs, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at www.WildlifeForever.org.