Take It Outside Art Contest
2013 Category I (Grades K-2) Winners
2013 Category II (Grades 3-5) Winners
2013 Category III (Grades 6-8) Winners
2013 Category IV (Grades 9-12) Winners
Iowa is rich in tradition and abundant with wonderful natural resources. Iowans contribute $4.3 billion to Iowa’s economy through our outdoor pursuits -- hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, boating, target shooting, and wildlife-watching. One of the reasons we enjoy outdoors is our fish and wildlife resources. We share our state with all sorts of native animals – a host of invertebrates, 140+ types of fish, over 400 species of birds, almost 60 kinds of mammals, and almost 80 reptiles and amphibians. Some are very common and others are extremely rare. We like to watch critters, feed them, and even catch or hunt them. This year our art contest will focus on your favorite kind of Iowa wildlife.
Use your artistic skills to create an image that shows you “Taking it Outside” and visiting the habitat where your favorite kind of Iowa wildlife lives (prairie, timber, pond, lake, stream, river, marsh – even your backyard). Be sure to include the critter(s). For more information about Iowa wildlife, visit our website (scroll down to the bottom of the page to the “document library” and click on “fact sheets”)
Winning entries will receive prizes and grants for outdoor experiences. Winning entries will be used for upcoming promotions and displayed at the DNR building during the Iowa State Fair. All entries will be posted on our website.
Envirothon
This team competition for high school students is a co-sponsored by the Iowa DNR and Conservation Districts of Iowa's Envirothon program. In the field and classroom, teams of five students are challenged to use their knowledge and critical thinking skills to conduct hands-on investigations, solve real-life scenarios and answer written questions covering five categories: Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Wildlife, Soils, and Current Environmental Issues. For more information, visit the Conservation Districts of Iowa's website.
Fish Iowa! Games
Fish Iowa! Games is a competition where students cast from three distances using the flipping, pitching, and overhand techniques. It was developed by the Iowa Sports Foundation, in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, in 2006. Since then, over 49,000 K-12 students throughout the state have participated.
Register your school or your class now to secure your competition kit. The competition may be held anytime between February 1 and May 1.
All first place (gold) medalists will be invited to the 2013 Fish Iowa! Games Finals at the Summer Iowa Games, Saturday, July 20, 2013.
Iowa High School and SCTPChampionships
Starting on April 1, 2012, all Iowa high schools are invited to participate in the state-wide Iowa High School and Scholastic Clay Target Program league. This league will allow local teams to get together and conduct a competition match. Results from each match will be recorded, sent into the DNR office, and posted to the DNR website creating a friendly, state-wide, electronic competition. Top teams and individuals from the state-wide league will be recognized and awards will be presented at each respective state event.
NASP® Iowa Championship
Starting in December, all Iowa NASP schools will be eligible to participate in the third annual, Iowa NASP invitational league. This league will allow local schools to get together and conduct a competition-style NASP shoot. Results from each competition will be recorded, sent into our office and posted to the DNR website creating a friendly, electronic competition. Top teams and individuals from the Invitational League will be recognized at the state shoot, February 25th at the Iowa Deer Classic.
Trees For Kids and Trees For Teens Poster Contest
Contest Rules & Guidelines
School Winner Report Form
This year the Iowa Department of Natural Resource’s Forestry-Bureau is holding a poster contest. Your students are invited to participate! You may choose to do this as a classroom activity, allowing students to do their own research and then create a poster, or, introduce the contest and allow students to complete it at home.
Each school must pick 1 poster from k-3rd, 4th-8th, and 9-12th to be mailed in and judged. The Forestry-Bureau will choose one overall winner in k-3rd, 4th-8th, and 9th-12th. These posters will be placed around state forests to inform campers of invasive species and how to stop the spread of them. Other prizes may be awarded, and students will be recognized at the annual Forestry-Bureau luncheon in Des Moines.