First place winner in K-3 category: Tatyana Panchishna of Flower Mound
A bevy of Texas mothers is really proud this Mother’s Day: their kids are winners of the Texas State-Fish Art Contest, a project by Wildlife Forever which promotes wildlife conservation among school-age children. And since every mother loves to hear their child’s name said out loud, in praise, to a large audience, this would be the day to do that. So, [tap tap tap, Is this thing on?] here are the winners:
In the K-3 category, winners were: First Place (below), Tatyana Panchishna of Flower Mound; Second Place, Isha Goel of Flower Mound; Third Place, Livia Thomas of Coppell.
In the grades 4–6 category, winners were: First Place (below), Madeleine Alexander of Keller; Second Place, Sarah Slater of Coppell; Third Place, Alina Ponomarenko of Lewisville.
In the grades 7–9 category, winners were: First Place (below), Kealey Yoakum of Village Mills; Second Place, Savannah Walker of Keller; Third Place, Jacob Litsey of Northlake.
In the grades 10–12 category, winners were: First Place (below), Brady King of Livingston; Second Place, Bryce BonAnno of Canyon; Third Place, Nasa Xu of Katy.
Kids that win first place on state level move on to the national competition, with one work ultimately being chosen for the Art of Conservation Award with a commemorative stamp featuring the artwork produced for sale. All proceeds from sales of the stamp will be used to fund conservation projects.
The Texas coordinator for the project, Zoe Ann Stinchcomb, told the Lonestar Outdoor News that research done on the Texas contest shows that participation in the contest makes students more likely to become interested in fishing. “Getting youth involved in the outdoors is a key goal of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,” she said–no small feat for parents and educators in this age of plugged-in kiddos.
