Fish Art Winners and Thank-You Lists

In May, MCV wrapped up the 2022 Minnesota Fish Art Contest, hosted in partnership with White Bear Lake nonprofit Wildlife Forever. The competition invited K-12 students from around the state to research and illustrate a fish of their choice to learn more about the underwater world, angling, and aquatic conservation. 

More than 100 students entered the contest, and each submission was beautifully done and one of a kind. A big thank you to all who participated, including the following judges who helped pick the winners: Sarah Strommen, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Kathleen Weflen, former editor in chief of the Volunteer; Jenny Anderson, outdoor content creator; Tom Hazelton, frequent writer for MCV; and Bill Reynolds, frequent illustrator for MCV. 

And congrats to the four first-place winners of this year’s contest! Check out their winning works above.

Thank-You List Update
For 25 years, MCV has published a recurring list of those who’ve given $50 or more to the magazine—a small token of our oversized gratitude. But a lot has changed since those donor pages first appeared in the July–August 1997 issue. What began as a two-page section has ballooned to 40 to 50 pages annually. It’s an impressive sign of reader loyalty, but it raises the question: With paper becoming increasingly costly, should a conservation magazine continue to print long lists of names each year? We decided the answer was no. This September our thank-you lists will move to an online-only format, where they’ll exist in an attractive, user-friendly package at mndnr.gov/mcv/thanks.

This decision wasn’t made in a vacuum. A 2019 survey of Volunteer readers found that nearly half the respondents desired a change in how we recognize our donors. A significant percentage called for pulling the list from MCV’s print edition, while others suggested moving the names online. Staff also agree that it’s time for a change. 

What will not change, however, is our appreciation for our generous readers, who make this publication possible. Thank you, as always, for your support.