The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced the winners of the 2025 Earth Day Patch Contest. More than 1,600 students from 100 schools entered this year’s contest.

Winners in four age categories are Tryg Klindworth, Beulah (K-3); Mariah Achtenberg, White Shield (4-6); Jazmin Vasquez, Minot Bishop Ryan (7-9), and Brielle Volk, Mohall (10-12). Achtenberg’s design was chosen as the overall winner and will be made into the 2025 Earth Day patch.

Youth and adults who participate in cleaning up public lands receive the 2025 patch to celebrate Earth Day and their service. Projects that qualify for the Earth Day patch include refuse pick-up on local, state or federal properties and landscaping on public property, including planting trees, bushes and pollinator plants.

Groups participating in the service projects are encouraged to take the following precautions to ensure their safety: keep young people away from highways, lakes and rivers and only allow older participants to pick up broken glass or sharp objects.

Participants are asked to contact Sherry Niesar at 527-3714 or sniesar@nd.gov to receive a patch.

Gratis application process improved

North Dakota landowners applying for deer gratis licenses will notice improvements to the online application process.

The new system simplifies land selection by allowing users to click on property descriptions rather than manually entering lengthy details.

During the first year, applicants need to search and select their lands. In subsequent years, a convenient renewal button will speed up future applications. An additional link is available to reference previous years records.

These changes help validate eligible records more efficiently, ultimately reducing the time required to process the deer lottery. By improving accuracy and preventing errors, the system ensures a smoother experience for applicants and a timely lottery for those eager to receive their results.

Step-by-step guidance is available on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website. General deer and muzzleloader lottery applications will be online in early May. The deadline to apply is June 4.