DNR Announces T-Shirt Art Winners in Youth Birding Competition

Social Circle, GA

Eight budding bird artists have been selected as T-shirt Art Contest winners in Georgia’s 19th annual Youth Birding Competition, the state Department of Natural Resources announced today.

A drawing of red-breasted mergansers by Erin Moore of Marietta led the contest’s 163 entries from 57 public, private and home schools, as well as after-school programs and nature centers statewide. Moore, a Walton High School freshman, used acrylic markers on mixed media paper to highlight the ducks’ features and depict light and movement in the water.

As the grand-prize winner, the 14-year-old will receive a $100 Amazon gift card and have her artwork featured on T-shirts at the 2025 Youth Birding Competition.

The art contest is part of the annual birding event, in which children and teens try to find as many bird species as possible across Georgia in 24 hours. The fun, free bird-a-thon starts Friday, April 4, and ends Saturday, April 12. Teams of kindergarteners through high schoolers will pick a 24-hour stretch during that span and compete by age group to find the most birds statewide. The competition ends in an awards ceremony and banquet April 12 at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield. Registration for the competition is open until March 15 at https://georgiawildlife.com/YBC.

The T-shirt art contest entry by Moore also won the High School Division. Other division winners and runners-up include:

  • Primary (pre-K through second grade): black-throated green warbler by Amooria El-Fatin, 7, a Norcross second grader at SKA Academy of Art and Design in Duluth. Runner-up: belted kingfisher by Baylor Johnson, 6, a first-grade homeschooler, Harlem. 
  • Elementary (third-fifth grade): mourning dove by Emily Gu, 9, of Alpharetta, a fourth grader at SKA Academy of Art and Design, Duluth. Runner-up: tree swallow by Cammy Wu, 9, a Duluth third grader at SKA Academy of Art and Design.
  • Middle School (sixth-eighth grade): purple gallinule by Mira Ma, 12, sixth grader from Sugar Hill attending SKA Academy of Art and Design, Duluth. Runner-up: willow flycatcher by Sophia Guo, 12, a Buford sixth grader at SKA Academy of Art and Design.
  • High School (ninth-12th grade) runner-up: rufous hummingbird by Joy Chen, 15, of Lawrenceville, a ninth grader at SKA Academy of Art and Design.

Each of the other division winners will be awarded $60 Amazon gift cards, with runners-up receiving $40 Amazon gift cards.

Art contest coordinator Linda May praised all competitors for their efforts and stressed that the focus is more than just art.

“By observing and researching potential birds to draw or paint, students connect with nature and discover Georgia’s amazing biodiversity,” said May, outreach coordinator for DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section. “Birds are a great focus for this art contest since they’re beautiful, entertaining to watch and easy to find.”

Georgia is home to more than 400 species of resident and migratory birds, ranging in size from the tiny ruby-throated hummingbird to the iconic bald eagle. To encourage wildlife conservation, both an awareness and appreciation of animals and their habitats are essential. The contest helps form that foundation through art. Research shows that participation in nature art also promotes children’s well-being by developing confidence and supporting creativity.  

The birding competition and T-shirt Art Contest are sponsored by DNR’s Wildlife Conservation Section, The Environmental Resources Network (TERN) – friends group of the Wildlife Conservation Section – and others including the Georgia Ornithological Society, Georgia Power and Birds Georgia.

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