Washington, DC – The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with Wildlife Forever. This collaboration will share The Art of Conservation® with young people across the nation, focusing on the critical role habitat has on fish and aquatic resources.

The mission of Wildlife Forever is to conserve America’s wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. In honor of this new alliance, NFHP, through the State Fish - Art Contest has created the Fish Habitat Writing Award to highlight the importance of protecting, restoring, and enhancing aquatic habitat.

The Fish Habitat Writing Award is open to all contestants participating in the Fish Art Contest. In the writing portion of their entry, participants should highlight the unique habitat requirements of their fish species and the importance of quality habitat for all aquatic species. Winners will be selected in four grade categories; Kindergarten-3rd grade, 4th-6th grade, 7th-9thgrade, and 10th-12th grade. Top contestants will be awarded a prize package from the National Fish Habitat Partnership valued at over $30.

To enter, contestants create an original illustration of any species from the official fish list and a one-page writing entry. The creative writing portion is not required for participants in kindergarten – 3rd grade, but all writing entries received will be judged and considered for awards. The creative writing portion of the contest allows students to illustrate what they have learned and highlights their unique views on conservation.

Ryan Roberts, Program Manager of the National Fish Habitat Partnership said, “The State-Fish Art Contest has long been proven as a successful program to reach youth. The connections young people make to conservation through their art and written essays are incredibly powerful. I look forward to collaborating with this program and help us reach and inspire the next generation of conservationists.”

“The National Fish Habitat Partnership is a natural fit to help tell the story about fish and aquatic ecosystems. Together we will help bridge the connections between science and the arts, empowering youth to get outdoors.” said Pat Conzemius, President and CEO of Wildlife Forever.

The 2021 State-Fish Art Contest is now open and accepting entries. To learn more about the Fish Habitat Award, visit StateFishArt.org. The deadline to enter is March 31st, 2021 so start creating today!

About the National Fish Habitat Partnership:

Since 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has supported over 1,000 projects benefiting fish habitat in all 50 states. The National Fish Habitat Partnership works to conserve fish habitat nationwide, leveraging federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the greatest impact on fish populations through priority conservation projects of 20 regionally-based Fish Habitat Partnerships. For more information, visit:http://www.fishhabitat.org

About the State-Fish Art Contest: The award-winning Wildlife Forever State-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 State-Fish Art Lesson Plan, integrating the disciplines of science and art. Entries are due postmarked or emailed by March 31st each year. www.statefishart.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 State-Fish Art Contest®, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at www.WildlifeForever.org.

Contact: Ryan Roberts, 202-838-3466, rroberts@fishwildlife.org