Jason Harr, a senior at Platte Valley High School, in Kersey, Colorado, took top honors winning Best of Show at the 2005 Colorado Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Harr’s color pencil rendition of a pair of wood ducks, "A Perfect Pose," will represent Colorado at the National Competition to be held in Washington, D.C. at the end of April. (Note to Editor: high resolution jpeg file available)

Harr’s artwork was selected from over 650 entries from across Colorado. All placing entries will be displayed at The Wildlife Experience in Parker, Colorado, from May 10 - June 5, 2005.

Entries from Colorado were judged by a panel of waterfowl enthusiasts, professional biologists and artists. Recognition for all participants and prizes for the top 25 drawings in each of four age groups (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12) are awarded each year. Prizes include art supplies, waterfowl books, ribbons, and passes for The Wildlife Experience.

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is an educational program designed for all public, private, and home schooled students in grades kindergarten through 12 to learn more about waterfowl and habitat conservation. Incorporating scientific and wildlife management principles into visual arts curriculum creates an active awareness of the critical need to protect, preserve and enhance our wetland habitat for waterfowl, migratory songbirds, and the hundreds of other plants and animals that depend on wetlands for their survival.

First Place winners in all (age) categories:
Best of Show, Jason Harr (18), Kersey
Sam Martin (9), Boulder
Allison Sawyer (8), Boulder
Mara Wroblewski (8), Boulder
Forrest Carpenter (14), Loveland
Bryn-Elyse Maclennan (13), Ouray
Thomas Peck (13), Elbert
Daniel Kahler (17), Denver
Julianna Sipeki (18), Littleton

Second Place winners in all (age) categories:
Julia Mattingly (9), Boulder
Matthew Nehls (8), Boulder
Jaimie Zhu (8), Boulder
Katie Boylen (10), Monument
Abi DeSousa (10), Berthoud
Angela Judd (11), Louisville
Tyler Ciccolella (13), Monument
Ari Osborn (14), Craig
Megan Stevens (14), Monument
Bethany Swanson (18), Estes Park
Alexandra Swanson (17), Littleton
Vasquez Svastian (17), Leadville

Third Place winners in all (age) categories:
Bryton Maclennan (8), Ouray
Greg Ritter (9), Boulder
Catie Ward (8), Boulder
Caitlin Hart (14), Elbert
Aaron Hartman (13), Boulder
Cody Rex (14), Golden
Erin Kelly (17), Ft. Collins
Ashley Powell (17), Campo
Megan Shaughnessy (17), Brighton

Honorable Mention winners in all (age) categories:
Amanda Becker (9), Boulder
Michael Brighi (10), Greeley
Cameron Culley (9), Loveland
Juliet Faughnan (8), Boulder
Emma Gooding-Lord (9), Louisville
Jared Goronkin (8), Boulder
Anna Hogan (9), Louisville
Derek Lakowske (9), Boulder
Hunter LaLone (8), Littleton
Grant McNutt (9), Boulder
Bridget Metzger, Boulder
Kristina Morgan (9),Loveland
Lindsey Schwarz (8), Monument
Connor Spencer (9), Boulder
Austin Vojta (8), Boulder
Liesel Zimmerman (8), Monument
Mollie Bonds (10), Berthoud
Mariel Creed (11), Greeley
Nikkole Davis (11), Loveland
Zachary Elliott (10), Berthoud
Sarah Garone (11), Westminster
Nicole Hamlin, Monument
Natalee Hawkins (11), Berthoud
Logan Lewis (10), Loveland
Jeff Machados (11), Greeley
Kelia Murata (10), Greeley
Walker Prieb (11), Boulder
Leticia Rodriquez (10), Greeley
Mollie Stotts (12), Greeley
Andy Taylor (11), Loveland
Sage Thompson (11), Walsh
Hannah Worcester (11), Colorado Springs
Cameron Biondo (12), Elbert
Jessica Blanchard (14), Elbert
Jeffrey Capps (14), Conifer
Joseph Crabbs (13), Elbert
Anna Ewing (14), Louisville
Maria Finger, Monument
Kelly Hanes (15), Monument
Marie Hermes (14), Elbert
Melinda Jewett (15), Commerce City
Dwight Keller (13), Elbert
Brandt Zykon (13), Elbert
Wannisa Asavasiriroje (16), Elbert
Weston Brownlee (18), Greeley
Nicholas Campbell (17), Monument
Lawrence Cardenas, Jr. (17), Pueblo
Mathew Glaxner (17), Hotchkiss
Donald Leland (17), Pueblo
Aria Marco (17), Ft Collins
Rose Muldoon (17), Commerce City
Marisol Olivas (17), Commerce City
Yolanda Robles (17),Commerce City
Adriana Salomon (17), Commerce City
Joshua Silvas (17), Colorado Springs
Janeth Vasquez (16), Aurora
Juan Vera (17), Commerce City
Erica White (17), Grand Junction
Jennifer Wilson (17), Longmont

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

- FWS -

For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov

Visit the Mountain Prairie website at: http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov