Last year's winning entry was produced by Paul Willey of Conway, Ark. (USFWS graphic)

Stephanie Weagley, Carlsbad FWO

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest is coming to the San Diego Zoo April 17, 2008, the first time judging for this national wildlife art competition will be held outside of the Washington, D.C. area since it started in 1991.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees from the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Region 8 Office, Central Valley Joint Venture, Federal and Junior Duck Stamp Program offices, and California and Arizona Junior Duck Stamp State Coordinators are volunteering their time to make this a successful event.

Participants in the contest are students, grades K-12 who recently completed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s conservation and arts curriculum program—the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program.

The program, teaches students about wetlands and waterfowl conservation through the arts and is taught by educators throughout the U.S. Students create drawings and paintings depicting any North American waterfowl species and then submit their original artwork to their state Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Each state holds a competition and selects the “Best of Show” art entry and the winners are then entered into the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest.  

Students with the top three art entries and the top three conservation messages will receive cash awards. In addition, the national, first-place art design will be made into the 2008-2009 Junior Duck Stamp and sell for $5. The winning student receives a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond. All proceeds from the sale of Junior Duck Stamps are used to support the conservation education program.

Last year, nearly 30,000 students participated in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program. By participating in this education conservation program, students learn important lessons about wildlife conservation, experience our country’s rich natural heritage and connect with nature. 

The Service and the San Diego Zoo are conservation partners working on this project as part of their ongoing efforts to bring people and wildlife closer together.  Other partners in this event include the California Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., California Departments of Fish and Game and Water Resources, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tulare Basin Wetlands Association, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Delta Waterfowl, Central Valley Joint Venture, River Partners, Grassland Water District and Pacific Flyway Decoy Association.

More information about the federal Junior Duck Stamp program is available on the web at http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck . Information about the California Junior Duck Stamp program is at http://www.caljrduckstamp.org/