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Conservation Through The Arts
Maryland Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program

2007 Award Winners

Richard Zhao - 15 year old student of Mr. Rulei Bu at AA Studio, Inc in Boyds - won “Best of Show” in the Maryland Federal Junior Duck Stamp Competition. Richard’s oil painting was selected from the more than 680 entries submitted in this year’s statewide contest. See list of all 2007 award winners.

Richard chose a Canada goose because he had been seeing them a lot this past year, but every time he saw one, he noticed they were in a polluted area. To Richard, getting the message out about the need for conservation is as important as creating a beautiful piece of art.

Best of Show - "Peaceful Goose on a Lake"

“Richard’s entry, entitled ‘Peaceful Goose on a Lake,’ will go on to compete with other state winners for the National Grand Prize,” said Susan Minter, State Coordinator of the program. “The national winning design is used to print the official collectible Federal Junior Duck Stamp.”

The judges selected 100 entries for awards: First Place, Second Place, Third Place, and Honorable Mentions were selected from four age groups. The annual awards ceremony for Maryland’s winning students, their teachers, and families will be held on May 6, 2007 at the National Wildlife Visitor Center, Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel. Award certificates, ribbons, and other prizes will be presented to the winning students. All students who entered receive a Certificate of Participation.

After the awards ceremony, the First, Second, and Third Place entries will go on a tour throughout the State to be displayed at places such as the Ward Museum of Waterfowl Art in Salisbury, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge , the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum, Sideling Hill Exhibit Center in Washington County, the J. Millard Tawes Museum in Crisfield, and the Easton Waterfowl Festival. During the year, the winners are seen by approximately 40,000 people throughout the State.

This year’s judges were: Alicia Berlin, Research Assistant with USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; Ernie Muehlmatt, wildlife artist and Master Wildfowl Carver; Chandler Robbins, Scientist Emeritus with USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and renowned ornithologist; Jim Taylor, wildlife artist, Finalist in the 2007 Federal Duck Stamp Contest and winner of the 2007 Maryland Migratory Waterfowl Stamp Contest; and Robert L. Williams, Jr, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Winning entries will be on display at the Patuxent Research Refuge’s National Wildlife Visitor Center through May 6. The Visitor Center is located off of Powder Mill Road between the Baltimore/Washington Parkway and MD Route 197 south of Laurel.

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is an art and conservation program geared towards teaching children about the importance of wetlands and waterfowl conservation. The contest is open to all Maryland students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.