More than 1,700 K-12 Iowa students participated in this year’s Iowa Department of Natural Resources “Take It Outside” Art Contest. Entries showcased children visiting native Iowa wildlife in their natural habitat while camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, wildlife watching, and more.

Gwendolyn Hall, a student at South Tama Elementary in Tama, was an individual winner in the Grades 3-5 Category. She is the daughter of Brad and Gwen Hall.

This year’s art contest theme focused on Iowa’s native wildlife. Iowa is rich in tradition and abundant with natural resources. Iowans contribute $4.3 billion to Iowa’s economy through hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, boating, target shooting, and wildlife-watching.

Schools were invited to submit posters in the following categories: Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. All categories were for original hand-drawn artwork. Winners were selected based on portrayal of theme, creative expression, originality, visual appeal, and artistic merit.