California Artist Wins Wildlife Forever Invader Crusader Award
White Bear Lake, MN - Congratulations to Jihyo Kim of California, winner of the 2023 Fish Art Contest Invader Crusader Award. Kim’s depiction of silver carp is a stunning reminder that invasive species can look beautiful, but when improperly introduced they are one of the leading threats to native fish and wildlife.
The Invader Crusader Award is a component of the Art of Conservation Fish Art Contest, designed to educate youth about invasive species. To qualify for the award students must include an invasive species in their artwork, along with submitting a brief essay about their chosen species and their impact on fish and aquatic habitat.
“Kim’s piece is beautiful and serves as a good reminder about the impacts invasive carps can have. Silver Carp have disrupted numerous watersheds and impacted many communities,” said Addison Motta, Communications Manager for Wildlife Forever. Silver Carp were originally brought to the US from eastern Asian in the 1970s to help control algae in southern U.S. fish farms. Flooding events in the 1990s allowed fish to escape and they have since made their way into major watersheds of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio rivers. Silver carp can outcompete native fish and mussels for food sources, which impacts populations. Juveniles can be misidentified as baitfish and spread through improper disposal of live bait. Anglers are reminded to “Trash Unused Bait”.
About the Fish Art Program: The award-winning Wildlife Forever Art of Conservation Fish Art® Contest, is supported by Title Sponsor Bass Pro Shops, International Game Fish Association, the USDA Forest Service, the Guy Harvey Foundation, Rapala, and National Fish Habitat Partnership. Bringing youth, art, and conservation together, the Fish Art program is free to enter. Visit www.FishArt.org.
About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America's outdoor 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 95% of every dollar supports our award-winning conservation programs. Join Today and learn more about the Art of Conservation® Fish Art Contest™ and Songbird Art Contest™, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at www.WildlifeForever.org.
The Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ is a state and national public awareness campaign to educate outdoor recreational users on how to prevent the spread of invasive species. Coordinated messaging focuses on strategic content, marketing communications, and outreach tools. Along with partners, Wildlife Forever coordinates national public outreach and educational efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species. Local counties, lake associations, and state agencies plan to send a strong Clean Drain Dry message in 2023. Highway billboards, television and radio PSAs, paid digital and social media campaigns, posters and handouts to the public have all been planned to share the message across the state and beyond. To learn how your agency or organization can participate, contact: Zach Burnside, ZBurnside@WildlifeForever.org
