LAS VEGAS — An acrylic painting of a Redhead duck will represent Nevada in the 2015 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program art contest. The painting is the work of Santiago LaRochelle, an eighth-grade student at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School in Las Vegas. His artwork placed first in the seventh–ninth-grade group and was chosen as “Best of Show” during a day-long judging session on Friday, March 27, at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. A total of 411 entries were submitted by young artists from throughout the state.
LaRochelle’s artwork will be sent to Washington, D.C., to compete with the other states’ winners in the National Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest on April 17, 2015. The national winner’s design will be made into the 2015-2016 Federal Junior Duck Stamp. The annual program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), provides educational resources to teachers to help students in grades K–12 learn about the outdoor world and their connection to waterfowl, wetlands and habitat conservation.
LaRochelle is part of a talented family, as his older brother, Diego, took Best-of-Show honors in last year’s Nevada Junior Duck Stamp art competition and placed first in the 10th–12th-grade group this year. Their younger sister, Rosa, won first place in the K–third-grade group this year, as well. They are the children of Jim and Lourdes LaRochelle of Las Vegas.
“The judges had a tough job this year, said Nevada Coordinator Christy Smith. “There are many budding young artists in Nevada with loads of talent. We hope to see even more entries in next year’s competition.” Smith manages the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
The judges for the 2015 Nevada competition included: Ren Lohoefener, Director of the Service’s Pacific Southwest Region; Tony Wasley, Director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife; Kevin DesRoberts, Deputy Project Leader for the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex; wildlife artist and photographer Sharon Schaefer; and Graham Wimbrow, Art Director for the Southern Nevada Nature Conservancy.
The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is a dynamic art and science program designed to teach wetlands habitat and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school and help reconnect youth with the outdoors. In Nevada, the program is facilitated by the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Las Vegas.
The design that wins the national art contest graces that year's Junior Duck Stamp and is sold by the U.S. Postal Service and Amplex Corporation for $5. All proceeds from the sale of the stamp are used to fund environmental education programs, reward students for their work, and expand the program. All program information can be found on the Internet at www.fws.gov/juniorduck/.
