Winners Announced for 2014 Endangered Species Youth Art Contest

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Endangered Species Coalition, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the International Child Art Foundation proudly announce the winners of the 2014 Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest.

The contest is an integral part of the 9th annual national Endangered Species Day. It engages school children in grades K -12 in expressing their appreciation for our nation’s most imperiled wildlife. It also promotes national awareness of the importance of saving endangered species, and helps recognize conservation initiatives across the country.

The winners are:  

Grand Prize:

Amy Feng (11th grade), Edison, NJ

First place winners in grade categories:

Grades K-2: Aidan Peter (2nd grade), Fremont, CA; Sarah Cao (1st grade), Belmont, CA

Grades 3-5: Melody Lin (3rd grade), Walnut, CA

Grades 6-8: Brandon Li (7^th grade – contest runner up), Skillman, NJ

Grades 9-12: Franny Lin (11th grade), San Jose, CA

Contest winners were carefully selected from thousands of applicants by a panel of prestigious artists, photographers and conservationists, including renowned marine life artist Wyland; Jack Hanna, host of Jack Hanna's Into the Wild; David Littschwager, a 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.

“The care shown by the children in their illustrations of threatened and endangered species is truly moving,” said Leda Huta, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition. “These depictions demonstrate innate wisdom, creativity and ability. I hope the semifinalists are inspired to continue to see themselves as artists and lovers of nature for the rest of their long lives."

The grand prize winner will be honored at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Congressional Reception in Washington, D.C. in May and will receive a special art lesson from a professional wildlife artist (via Skype) and $50-worth of art supplies of their choice.

Winning entries can all be viewed at http://bit.ly/1mS96tq. The semi-finalists' artwork will be on display at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. For additional details, including other

exhibition sites, visit www.endangeredspeciesday.org.

Endangered Species Day, which in 2014 will take place on May 16, was first proclaimed by the United States Congress in 2006. It is a celebration of the nation’s wildlife and wild places and is an opportunity for people to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species, as well as everyday actions they can take to help protect them.

Across the country, organizations hold special events to celebrate Endangered Species Day. 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.