The judges for this year's competition were Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, host of Independent Native News on Alaska Public Radio (broadcast nationally), Alaska Aviation and Wildlife Artist Sandy Jamieson, Refuge Information Technician Paul Williams from the village of Beaver, Fairbanks artist Heidi Hahn, and Alaska Regional Chief of Refuges Todd Logan. An awards ceremony was held for the competition's art and conservation message winners, in conjunction with the Migratory Bird Day ? Spring Migration Celebration in Fairbanks, Alaska on Saturday, April 30. Well over 100 people turned out for the ceremony.

Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge has been host to the Alaska Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design program for the past ten years. This year, 1015 entries were received from 69 different schools across Alaska. The Junior Duck Stamp program integrates art and science in order to teach the importance of wetlands and waterfowl conservation to children.

For more information regarding the 2005 Alaska Junior Duck Stamp program, please contact Barry Whitehill at (907) 456-0409 or education_specialist@fws.gov.

Photographs are available upon request.