WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN – Wildlife Forever and Title Sponsor Bass Pro Shops are proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Art of Conservation® Fish Art Contest™. A distinguished panel of judges selected winners from over 4,000 entries received from 48 states and 43 international countries. For many students, the Fish Art Contest is their first experience learning about fish and fishing. 23 years ago, the Wildlife Forever contest was born from a child’s idea that has since inspired more than 59,000 youth to create, learn, and become uniquely connected to the outdoors.

“Art helps to build the foundation for youth development. Through the Fish Art program, young people learn the value of our natural resources and their role in protecting it. The artwork this year was incredible, showcasing world-class talent and future conservation leaders,” said Pat Conzemius, President, and CEO of Wildlife Forever.

“Each year, we’re inspired by the incredible artwork submitted by students from around the world for the Fish Art Contest,” said Bob Ziehmer, Senior Director of Conservation at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. “Congratulations to the winners and all who participated in the 2021 contest. Thank you for sharing your talents and creativity with us, and we hope you will continue to find ways to share nature’s beauty and the importance of conservation with others.”

An international panel of distinguished judges utilized an innovative platform to help to select this year’s winners. Artists competed for state, national and international recognition including several unique award categories including the Guy Harvey Award, Migratory Fish Award, Invader Crusader Award, and Western Native Trout Award. Participants also submitted essays eligible for state awards and the Fish Habitat Writing Award.

The Winners of the Creative Writing Award are below and their essays can be found here: https://www.wildlifeforever.org/home/state-fish-art/winners/fish-habitat-writing-award-winners/

​Kindergarten – 3rd Grade Division
First Place Rebecca Rose, New York
Second Place Gracelynn Mehta, New Hampshire
Third Place Claire Chou, Oregon

4th – 6th Grade Division
First Place William Snyder, California
Second Place Madeline Male, Kansas
Third Place Alyssa Zhang, Pennsylvania

7th – 9th Grade Division
First Place Christian Yao, California
Second Place Kira Hamilton, Minnesota
Third Place Chris Han, Georgia

10th – 12th Grade Division
First Place Jingyi “Alana” Yang, Washington
Second Place Xiao Jun Dong, Oregon
Third Place Alexis Lightner, West Virginia

View all the winning artwork and essays at FishArt.org Digital images are available upon request.

About the Fish Art Contest: The award-winning Wildlife Forever Fish Art™ Contest, with support from Title Sponsor Bass Pro Shops, the USDA Forest Service and Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, brings children, art and aquatic conservation together! The annual contest reaches thousands of youth each year. New distance learning resources allow students to participate from home or classroom and complement a wide array of educational programming. To enter, young artists create an original illustration of any fish from the Official Fish list and written words detailing its habitat, and efforts to conserve it. Entries are categorized in four grade levels: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Educators nationwide utilize Fish On!, the full-color Fish Art Lesson Plan, integrating the disciplines of science and art. Entries are due postmarked or emailed by March 31st each year. www.fishart.org.

About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America’s wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to investing resources on the ground. Recent audits reveal that 94% of every dollar supports our award-winning conservation programs. Please, Join Today and learn more about the Fish Art Contest®, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at www.WildlifeForever.org.

About Bass Pro Shops®: Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”

About the USDA Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service is a multi-faceted agency that manages and protects 154 national forests and 20 grasslands in 43 states and Puerto Rico. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Learn more about the Forest Service fisheries program at: https://www.fs.fed.us/science-technology/fish-wildlife-plants/fisheries-program