Winners Announced for K-12 Student Fish Art Contest
April 30, 2024 | By Waterbury Roundabout 
First place, grades 7-9, Shea Bellezza, Yellow Perch
Ten Vermont kids will get some new fishing gear as a reward for them entering the annual Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s annual art contest.
The department recently announced the winners of the 2024 Vermont Student Fish Art Contest in partnership with the nonprofit conservation organization Wildlife Forever.
Some 226 students in grades K-12 submitted fish-art entries, according to the department’s Education Specialist Corey Hart. Participants were asked to choose a fish species found in Vermont waters to then submit an illustration and a one-page creative essay.
Winners receive a fishing rod and reel, and their art will be entered into a selection process to be featured in the department’s 2025 Fishing Guide and Regulations publication.
“The Fish Art Contest is a way for Vermont students to use their creativity and strengthen their knowledge and connection with our environment,” Hart said. “This year saw several Vermont schools incorporate the contest into their curriculum, allowing the teachers to highlight the selected fish species in detail before the students created their masterpieces. We congratulate all of the participants on a job well done and look forward to next year’s contest.”
Three winners were chosen in each of the categories for grades K-3, 4-6, and 7-9; one winner was named in the grade 10-12 category.
Winners and the species they wrote about and illustrated were:
Grades K-3: 1st place Raine Chaleff, Northern Pike; 2nd place Kate Reed, Rainbow Trout; 3rd place tie Fern Hammond and Iris Freitag, both choosing Brook Trout.
Grades 4-6: 1st place Delia Clogston, Rainbow Trout; 2nd place Emmet Trombley, Brook Trout; 3rd place Coco Healey, Brook Trout.
Grades 7-9: 1st place Shea Bellezza, Yellow Perch; 2nd place Jenna Sweeney, Largemouth Bass; 3rd place Bella Bonk, Rainbow Trout.
Grades 10-12: 1st place Brayden Carton, Rainbow Trout.