The 2016 Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest is open for submissions. The competition, an integral part of the 11th annual national Endangered Species Day celebration, provides school children in grades K through 12 an opportunity to learn about threatened and endangered wildlife while expressing their knowledge and support for conservation efforts through their artistic and creative talents.
Organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Coalition, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and International Child Art Foundation (ICAF), the contest promotes national awareness of the importance of saving endangered species while recognizing conservation initiatives across the country.
Contest winners will be chosen by a prestigious panel of artists, photographers and conservationists, including Wyland, renowned marine life artist; Jack Hanna, host of Jack Hanna's Into the Wild; David Littschwager, freelance photographer and regular contributor to National Geographic magazine; Susan Middletown, a photographer who has collaborated with Littschwager and whose own work has been published in four books; and Alice Tangerini, botanical illustrator for the Smithsonian Institution.
For more information, including entry categories, judging criteria, prizes, and the entry form, visit www.endangeredspeciesday.org. Entries must be submitted electronically no later than March 1, 2016.
Across the country, organizations hold special events to celebrate Endangered Species Day which was proclaimed by the United States Congress in 2006. Many of the Service's field and regional offices will be hosting such events in their communities and providing unique programs to visitors on endangered species conservation. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/endangered/ESDay/index.html.
