Superior School students winners in art contest
The Southwestern Land Office of the Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation and Keep Montana Green have announced the southwestern Montana regional winners of the 60th Annual Keep Montana Green Wildfire Prevention Art Contest.
With a mission of promoting public awareness of the danger of human caused wildfires on Montana’s ecosystems, communities, and natural resources, Keep Montana Green has sponsored 60 poster contests involving Montana students since 1961.
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Keep Montana Green, this year’s art contest added exciting new changes, including doubling of all prize money for statewide winner competitions, new second and third place overall positions in the statewide competition, and a new Coloring Book Division for this year only.
The artwork will be featured in a special coloring book to commemorate Keep Montana Green’s 75th anniversary.
Each year, Keep Montana Green and the DNRC ask students and teachers across the state to participate in the annual art contest.
The contest provides educators with a unit core for teaching students about wildfire safety, prevention, and conservation. The student-created posters help increase public awareness of the dangers of uncontrolled wildland fires.
They remind the public to be more careful with fire and fire-causing hazards while enjoying the state’s forests, campgrounds, and rangelands, as well as in everyday life.
The posters are first judged in regional contests. First, second, and third places are decided, and those entries are submitted to the state-level contest where winners receive cash prizes and special recognition. Special education, coloring book, computer m.generated, and audio-visual divisions are also judged directly at the state level.
The 2021 southwestern Montana winners include:
Intermediate Division, 4th-6th grades:
1st – Liam Wheeler, 6th Grade, Jessica Foust (teacher), Superior Elementary, Superior
2nd – Michael Goettle, 6th Grade, Brooks Phillips (teacher), Helmville School, Helmville
3rd – Rayane Heiland, 6th Grade, Jennifer Ogden (teacher), Victor School, Victor
Junior Division, 7th-9th grades
1st – Isaac Loessberg, 8th Grade, Brooks Phillips (teacher), Helmville School, Helmville
2nd – Aubrey Matthew, 8th Grade, Colleen Harrington (teacher), Swan Valley Elementary, Condon
3rd – Abby Wheeler, 8th Grade, Deborah Merrill (teacher), Superior Junior High School, Superior