The National Grasslands Visitor Center (NGVC) will be hosting a black-footed ferret poster contest. This year, U.S. Forest Service is celebrating the 30 year anniversary of the reintroduction of black-footed ferrets on U.S. Forest System Lands. This contest invites student artists in grades Kindergarten to 12th Grade to showcase their creativity and passion for wildlife conservation.
This contest hopes to bring awareness to one of North America’s most endangered mammals by encouraging students to learn more about the ferret’s important role in prairie ecosystems. Once thought to be extinct, North America’s black-footed ferrets have made a comeback on protected prairies such as South Dakota’s Buffalo Gap National Grassland.
School-aged children from grades kindergarten to 12th grade are eligible to participate. Posters must be student’s original artwork created using 8 ½ x 11 regular paper or construction paper and must include a Black-footed ferret. The deadline for entries is Monday, June 22, 2026, and posters can be mailed, emailed, or dropped off in-person.
Prizes will be provided for winners in each division by Black Hills Parks and Forests Association, a non-profit partner of the National Grasslands Visitor Center.
Winning posters will be selected in July and put on display at the National Grasslands Visitor Center in an exhibit that highlights ongoing recovery efforts of the Black-footed ferret.
The National Grasslands Visitor Center located in Wall, introduces visitors to the 4 million acres of National Grasslands and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie the U.S. Forest Service manages for public enjoyment and multiple sustainable uses.
For more information and full contest rules please:
- visit the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands event page,
- stop by the National Grasslands Visitor Center at 708 Main Street, Wall, SD 57790,
- call NGVC at 605-279-2125,
- or email at SM.FS.nnf_info@usda.gov.
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