The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources invites artists to create and submit an original piece of art (not photography) for the 2021 Restore the Wild Artwork Competition. The focus is turtles.

A release said the work should reflect Restore the Wild’s mission “to restore and create natural habitats vital to the survival of Virginia’s wildlife.”

The winning artwork, highlighting a species with habitat needs, will be used throughout 2021 to help promote the mission. Past years’ artwork has featured the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and rusty patched bumble bee, DWR said. The focus of 2021’s artwork is imperiled terrestrial, freshwater and estuarine turtles. These include bog turtle, eastern box turtle, northern diamondback terrapin, spotted turtle, or wood turtle, the release said, listed as species of “greatest conservation need.”

Artists should create scenes depicting the species in its natural habitat. The eligible species must be the dominant feature in ...