Eighteen K-12 students have earned top prizes in the Keep Montana Green art contest and will advance to the statewide competition.  

This year’s regional contest received entries from six schools in northwestern Montana, showcasing students’ creativity in promoting wildfire prevention, according to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Northwestern Land Office.

“I am consistently impressed by the artwork and novel ideas of our northwestern Montana youth,” said Marcel Getz, community preparedness and fire prevention specialist of the DNRC Northwestern Land Office. “The Keep Montana Green art contest continues to bring wildfire education to our local youth through a fun creative contest. Our staff at DNRC always enjoy the opportunity to judge this contest each year.”  

  In addition to the art contest, participating K-12 educators are provided a fire safety, prevention, and conservation-based curriculum for students to learn about preventing wildfires. The theme of the contest this year is “Stray Sparks Cause Starts.”  

Art entries are initially judged regionally; first, second, third, and honorable mention places are selected from each of the four age groups. Regional winners advance to a statewide competition to be judged against other regional winners. The state winners receive ribbons, prizes, and statewide recognition. State winners will be announced in April, and their artwork will be featured in the annual KMG calendar. 

Keep Montana Green is an annual art contest that helps teach K-12 students about wildfire prevention and fire safety.

The 2025 Western Montana regional winners include: 

Primary Division, Grades K-3:  

First Place – Lila Tarrant, third grade, teacher Mrs. B Wisnovske, Creston School, Kalispell 

Second Place – Kodi Holmes, teacher Mrs. Dickey, Fair-Mont-Egan, Kalispell 

Third Place – Waylon Lipka, second grade, teacher Mrs. B Wisnovske, Creston School, Kalispell 

Intermediate Division, Grades 4-6:  

First Place – Kyrie Carr, fifth grade, teacher Mrs. Cole, Plains Elementary School, Plains 

Second Place – Wesley McIntyre, fifth grade, homeschool, Kalispell 

Third Place – Maya Miranda-Soto, sixth grade, teacher Samantha Jones, Columbia Falls Junior High School, Columbia Falls 

Honorable Mention – Mila Guenther, fourth grade, teacher Mrs. B Wisnovske, Creston School, Kalispell 

Junior Division, Grades 7-9: 

First Place – Peyton Belvins, ninth grade, teacher Kate Daniels, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls 

Second Place – Kynlee Cardin, ninth grade, teacher Kate Daniels, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls 

Third Place – Tristan Archuleta, ninth grade, teacher Kate Daniels, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls 

Senior Division, Grades 10-12: 

First Place – Mike Reistroffer, twelfth grade, teacher Kristen Cole, Plains High School, Plains 

Second Place – Madysen Martin, twelfth grade, teacher Kate Daniels, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls 

Third Place – Ezra Wicks, eleventh grade, teacher Shelby Forke, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls 

Honorable Mention – Sawyer Clark, tenth grade, teacher Kate Daniels, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls