Results of 22nd Annual Student Bird Art Contest

This is a press release from Friends of the Arcata Marsh and the
Redwood Region Audubon Society:

Grades 6&7 Second Place: David Grienauer, Pacific View Charter, Steller’s Jay

By Sue Leskiw, Contest Coordinator

Some 818 school kids pulled out paints, pencils, pastels, or paste to enter the 22nd Annual Student Bird Art Contest. Cosponsors were Friends of the Arcata Marsh and Redwood Region Audubon Society.

The contest was held in association with mid-April’s Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival in Arcata. All entries were displayed at the Arcata Community Center for public viewing during the festival.

Copies of 2025’s cash prize and honorable mention winning artwork will be on display at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center during May and June. Winners were spread across 30 different schools! Public viewing is possible Tuesdays through Sundays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Mondays from 1 to 5 p.m.

A downloadable booklet containing the artwork and photos from the April 19 awards ceremony will be posted sometime in May at www.godwitdays.org, www.rras.org, and www.arcatamarshfriends.org.

Awards totaled $750, with 47 cash prizes plus 39 honorable mentions. Depending on the number of entries per grade, some levels were combined and others received more than one set of awards, to even out the chances of winning.

The winners were:

Kindergarten & Grade 1

First Place: Lily Varzgah, Homeschooled, Red-breasted Nuthatch; Nova Connelly, Union Street Charter, Northern Harrier

Second Place: Thomas Willson III, Orleans Elementary, Scrub Jay; Asher Stein, Northern United Charters, Turkey Vulture

Third Place: Olea Vance, Alder Grove Charter, Anna’s Hummingbird; Onyx Austrus, Northern United Charters, Common Yellowthroat

Honorable Mentions: Ember Freedlund, Mattole Elementary, Purple Finch; Nicholas Flemming, Mattole Elementary, American Crow; Seraphina Fosnaugh, Northern United Charters, White-tailed Kite; Rose King, Union Street Charter, Anna’s Hummingbird; Oliver Caldwell-Russo, Union Street Charter, Spotted Owl

Grade 2

First Place: Fiona Varzgah, Homeschooled, Spotted Owl; Wren Rushby, Coastal Grove Charter, Cedar Waxwing

Second Place: Sawyer Mathieson, Ridgewood Elementary, Northern Flicker; Harper Rybeck, Northern United Charters, Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Third Place: Emilia Wright, Ridgewood Elementary, Anna’s Hummingbird; Brynlee Steele, Fieldbrook Elementary, Mallard

Honorable Mentions: Della Zdrazil, Garfield Elementary, Tufted Puffin; Sylvie Davis, Garfield Elementary, American Goldfinch; Owen Lowe, Seaforth Montessori, Scrub Jay; Niamh Horcasitas, Fuente Nueva Charter, Spotted Owl

Grade 3

First Place: Sylvia Tout, Garfield Elementary, Cinnamon Teal; Iona Ennis, Mattole Elementary, American Kestrel

Second Place: Cody Herman, Morris Elementary, Steller’s Jay; Emory Thoreson-Veeh, Garfield Elementary, American Kestrel

Third Place: Autumn McTague, Northern United Charters, Snowy Plover; Henry Schmidt, Cutten Elementary, Bald Eagle

Honorable Mentions; Camille Kerhoulas, Garfield Elementary, California Quail; Lucia Herndon, Cutten Elementary, Northern Flicker; Vasili Tokarev, Homeschooled, Anna’s Hummingbird; Antonio Fuentes Rodriguez, Northern United Charters, Northern Flicker; Iko Shipley, Agnes J Johnson Charter, Hummingbird

Grade 4

First Place: Ona Kypta, Garfield Elementary, Spotted Sandpiper; Esa McGowan, Alder Grove Charter, Snowy Plovers; Cameron Riley, Union Street Charter, Osprey

Second Place: Wilder Brosemer-Brown, Northern United Charters, Common Raven; Avery Skehen, Mattole Elementary, Great-horned Owl; Skylar Kaskinen, Northern United Charters, Wood Duck

Third Place: Stella Brents, Union Street Charter, Pileated Woodpecker; Iver Vu, Fuente Nueva Charter, Purple Finch; Aubree Harrison, Redwood Preparatory Academy, Bald Eagle

Honorable Mentions: Brynn Thrash, Garfield Elementary, Cinnamon Teal; Asher Troyer, Northern United Charters, Pileated Woodpecker; Banyan Villagomez, Union Street Charter, Western Grebes; Aurora Martin, Morris Elementary, Spotted Owls; Kenzie Christianson, Cutten Elementary, Peregrine Falcon; Nadia Dervin, Whitethorn Elementary, Sharp-shinned Hawk

Grade 5

First Place: Emma Varzgah, Homeschooled, Pileated Woodpecker; Margot Nims, Garfield Elementary, Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Second Place: Bella Kanaga, Jacoby Creek School, Snowy Plover; Ivan Tokarev, Homeschooled, Peregrine Falcon

Third Place: Elena Cudahy, Jacoby Creek School, Chestnut-backed Chickadee; Madden McCall, Northern United Charters, Mallards

Honorable Mentions: Emma Studebaker, Northern United Charters, Varied Thrush; Heidi Tout, Garfield Elementary, Brown Pelican; Harper Elliott, Blue Lake Elementary, Bald Eagle; Veda Vance, Alder Grove Charter, California Quail; Saebra Ester, Garfield Elementary, Mallard; Isolde Thayer-Randall, Trinidad Elementary, Red-shouldered Hawk

Grades 6&7

First Place: Clover Zinsmann, Winship Middle School, Snowy Plovers; Daisy Eldridge, Agnes J Johnson Charter, Varied Thrush

Second Place: David Grienauer, Pacific View Charter, Steller’s Jay; Isaac Sisouphanh, Winship Middle School, White-tailed Kite

Third Place: Leonardo Freitas, Northern United Charters, Belted Kingfisher; Mackenzie Powell, Cutten Elementary, Peregrine Falcon

Honorable Mentions: Kenzie Payne, Northern United Charters, Rufous Hummingbird; Zoey Moore, Sunny Brae Middle School, Spotted Owl; Natalia Dimmick, Zane Middle School, White-tailed Kite; Mikalah Jackson, Cutten Elementary, Common Loon; Sasha Woods, Sunny Brae Middle School, California Quail; Ayla Dunn, Northcoast Preparatory Academy, Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Grades 8-12

First Place: Sequoia Manchester, Eureka High, Snowy Plover

Second Place: Evie Dowd, (Garberville) Leggett High, Cinnamon Teal Family

Third Place: Timuulin Page, Zane Middle School, Great Blue Heron

Honorable Mentions: Ricardo Freitas, Northern United Charters, Red-shouldered Hawk; Amanda Malle, Winship Middle School, Great Egret; Bailey Vue, Zane Middle School, Barred Owl; Lily Baldwin, Zane Middle School, Western Screech Owl; Fleda Burton, Far West Christian Academy, American Crows; October Mintey, Redwood Coast Montessori, Morning Mourning Doves; Ram Virnave, Academy of the Redwoods, Red-necked Phalarope

Best Bird in Habitat Awards

Grade 4 Honorable Mention: Kenzie Christianson, Cutten Elementary, Peregrine Falcon

Grade 4 Third Place: Stella Brents, Union Street Charter, Pileated Woodpecker

Grade 3 First Place: Iona Ennis, Mattole Elementary, American Kestrel

Grade 2 First Place: Fiona Varzgah, Homeschooled, Spotted Owl

Grades K-1 First Place: Lily Varzgah, Homeschooled, Red-breasted Nuthatch

Habitat Award: Cicada Pierce, Grade 5, Orleans Elementary, Great Blue Heron

Grades 8-12 First Place: Sequoia Manchester, Eureka High, Snowy Plover

Grade 5 First Place: Emma Varzgah, Homeschooled, Pileated Woodpecker

Grade 4 Third Place: Aubree Harrison, Redwood Preparatory Academy, Bald Eagle

Grades 6&7 Honorable Mention: Ayla Dunn, Northcoast Preparatory Academy, Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Grades 8-12 Honorable Mention: Ram Virnave, Academy of the Redwoods, Red-necked Phalarope

Grade 4 Honorable Mention: Aurora Martin, Morris Elementary, Spotted Owls

Niamh Gaffney, Grade 2, Seaforth Montessori, Nuthatches; Daphne Stork, Grade 3, Pacific View Charter, Snowy Plover; Kaylee Bramlett, Grade 4, Redwood Preparatory Academy, Snowy Plovers; Cicada Pierce, Grade 5, Orleans Elementary, Great Blue Heron; Kai Ault, Grade 6, Cutten Elementary, Mallards