Judges will be looking at: visual impact (use of color, contrast, and composition), creative concept, interesting expression of theme and/or unique subject, and how well any writing interacts with the art.
- K-12 students (public, private or home schooled) residing in villages in or adjacent to the North Slope Borough and the following National Wildlife Refuges: Alaska Maritime, Alaska Peninsula/Becharof, Arctic, Innoko, Izembek, Kodiak, Koyukuk, Nowitna, Selawik, Tetlin, Togiak, Yukon Delta, and Yukon Flats, may enter.
- All entries must be submitted to the closest U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office, Attention: Calendar Contest at (Addresses of offices are on page 2 of the Entry Form).
- All entries must be postmarked by March 4, 2024. Entries postmarked after this date will be disqualified. Only one literature entry per student will be accepted however, students may enter both literature and poster contests.
- Poster entries must be horizontal on 18" X 12" paper; please, nothing smaller or larger. All winning artwork will be scaled to fit in an 11" X 8.5" space on the calendar so all important elements and/or text should be at least an inch from the edge or they may be lost in the trimming process.
- Poster shall be drawn or painted in COLOR. Colored pencils, crayons, water colors, colored markers, pastels, and cut-out colored paper are acceptable mediums
- If an Alaska Native language is used, an English translation must be attached or included within the poster's design.
- All art must be original and PERTAIN TO THE THEME. No copying, tracing, or templates will be accepted.
- The purpose and spirit of the calendar is to convey positive conservation messages related to migratory birds found in Alaska. Literature focusing on “no hunting” or “no egging” messages is not appropriate and will be disqualified.
- Teachers must review the student's writing so that misspelling and grammatical errors are corrected before submission. Misspelled or illegible words or grammatical errors will disqualify the entry.
- Students may use a computer for the wording on their poster; however, they may not use a computer drawing to produce their artwork. Please be aware that these posters will be in the 2024 calendar if students use the year on their poster.
- Young children and/or children with disabilities may get assistance from their teachers and parents to dictate their thoughts.
- Page 1 of the completed, legible entry form MUST be firmly attached on the back of each entry. Illegible submissions or incomplete entry forms will be disqualified. Parental/guardian signature is mandatory and mailing address must be included for artwork return.
- Student's name MUST NOT appear on the front of the entry but should be neatly printed on the back just in case the entry form is accidentally separated from the art.
