The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is pleased to announce the 10th annual California Invasive Species Youth Art and Video Contest. This year’s theme, “Think Ahead; Stop the Spread,” encourages students to research ways to prevent the spread and impacts of invasive species and promote actions to protect the environment.
“The big news for this year’s contest is that we’re accepting video entries,” said Elizabeth Brusati, an environmental scientist with CDFW’s Invasive Species Program. “This year’s theme is an opportunity for students to combine science with artistic expression while learning about an important environmental issue.”
Invasive species affect all regions of California and can be spread in many ways, often by humans. CDFW promotes the contest as a way of encouraging students to think about actions to help stop the spread of invasive species such as cleaning recreational gear, planting non-invasive plants and learning about negative impacts of releasing unwanted pets into the wild.
The art contest has three age divisions for youth in grades 2-4, 5-8 and 9-12. All types of art are welcome and encouraged, including (but not limited to): drawings, paintings and comic strips. Entries must reflect the 2023 theme: “Think Ahead; Stop the Spread.” The top three winners in each division will have entries announced on CDFW’s social media. All entrants will receive a certificate of participation.
The new video portion, open to grades 5-12, allows students to submit a 60 second video on the theme. Winning videos will be posted on CDFW’s YouTube channel.
The deadline for contest entries is May 1. All entries must be submitted electronically. Submission instructions can be found on CDFW’s Invasive Species Program website.
The goal of California Invasive Species Action Week is to increase public awareness of invasive species issues and encourage public participation in the fight against California’s invasive species and their impacts on our state’s natural resources and biodiversity.
The mission of CDFW’s Invasive Species Program is to reduce the impacts of invasive species on the wildlands and waterways of California. The program is involved in efforts to prevent the introduction of these species into the state, detect and respond to introductions when they occur, and prevent the spread of those species that have established.
