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Keep Wildlife Wild 2024 Poster Design Contest

Participate in our sixth annual Keep Wildlife Wild poster contest! The poster design contest is open to 4-6th grade students who attend public, private, parochial or home schools in Wisconsin.

We think the name says a lot, but what exactly does it mean to Keep Wildlife Wild? Find out all the ways you can help keep wild animals in Wisconsin safe and healthy on our Keep Wildlife Wild webpage. Then use what you learn to turn your ideas into a piece of art.

The poster design contest opens on Nov. 27, 2023. The deadline for submitting poster designs is 5 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2024. If you have questions on the submission procedures, contact KeepWildlifeWild@wisconsin.gov.

Resources for Educators

If you’re a teacher, we’ve got resources for you. Check out the complete lesson plan, the 30-minute PowerPoint or the in-class interactive activity. The plan covers multiple dilemma situations related to encountering baby wild animals. On page 78, there are several worksheets for students, including a crossword puzzle, word search and maze. Peruse our list of resources for 4-6th graders below:

Eligibility and Submission Deadline

Eligible contestants are 4-6th grade students enrolled in public, private, parochial or home schools in Wisconsin during the 2023-2024 school year.

Entries must be received by KeepWildlifeWild@wisconsin.gov or postmarked no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. Any entry that fails to comply with the requirements of the contest will be disqualified and won’t be considered by the judging panel.

How to Design Your Keep Wildlife Wild Poster

There are so many cool critters native to Wisconsin to take inspiration from. Learn all about them at EEK! Critter Corner, then design a poster with one or more of your favorites in mind. The poster should only include wild, native Wisconsin wildlife, so no zebras, please!

Your artwork can be whatever style you choose. You don’t have to include animals if you don’t want to, but make sure your design is related to Keep Wildlife Wild and this year’s theme. If you need a place to start, try thinking about ways to keep wildlife families safe such as leaving them outside in their own home. A couple of examples of this are raccoon kits in a tree cavity or an underground burrow that a woodchuck might reside in.

Technical Requirements

Keep Wildlife Wild Theme Elements

Include the words “Keep Wildlife Wild 2024” and follow the theme of “Safe In Their Home”. Wisconsin’s native wildlife call a variety of locations home, which can change throughout their lifetime, and are sometimes just outside our doorstep. Whether it is a rabbit nest in a garden, a robin nest in the branches of a tree, or a fawn’s hiding spot in the long grass of a field, each of their homes is unique and helps keep them safe. You might find information on the Keep Wildlife Wild webpage helpful.

Make it Original

We think originality is best. Don’t submit work by someone else, whether it is recreated from previously published art like clip art, photographs, or electronic graphic images. We won’t accept images that have been photoshopped or manipulated.

Shape and Size

  • The poster design must fit an 8.5”x 11” sheet of paper.
  • All posters must be two-dimensional and be constructed using standard art tools (ex: ink, pencil, paint, charcoal, marker, crayon, etc.).
  • Graphic design programs may be used but the artwork created needs to be the student’s original design.

Lettering

  • The phrase “Keep Wildlife Wild 2024” must appear somewhere on the design. This can be handwritten, stenciled or typed.
  • The artist's signature is not allowed on the design.

Suitability for Reproduction

The Department of Natural Resources reserves the right to alter the design if necessary. This includes redrawing, resetting type and changing colors.

How to Submit Your Poster Design

All submissions must be received electronically (via email) or by mail and must include the student’s entry form and artwork.

Each student may submit only one entry. Entries will not be returned.

To submit your student’s poster:

  • Print and fill out an entry form for each student’s poster.
    • The form must be signed by a teacher, parent or guardian.
  • Mail complete, signed entry forms and posters by Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 to:

Wisconsin Keep Wildlife Wild Poster Design Contest
Department of Natural Resources, Attn: Taylor Czyscon
PO Box 100
Friendship, WI 53934

OR

  • Scan your poster using a high-quality scanner and save the design file as a PDF, PNG or JPG.
    • Image Quality: Make sure your scan is high resolution. Do not take photos of posters with a cell phone camera.
    • Tip for Classrooms: Educators submitting posters for multiple students may scan their entries in one batch using a top-feed scanner with each entry form on top of the corresponding poster.
  • Email complete, signed entry forms and posters to KeepWildlifeWild@wisconsin.gov by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.

All designs submitted will become the sole property of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR will not insure any entry it receives nor assume liability for any damage, loss or theft of any entry.

Judging of the Contest and Announcing Winners

The judging panel will consist of members of the DNR’s Keep Wildlife Wild team and will serve without compensation to judge the entries.

Poster judging will take place in February, and those who submit designs will be notified by email of winners in March. The DNR will also announce winners in a statewide news release and Facebook post.