Childrens Art and Literature Will be Judged for Goose Calendar

More than 1,700 school children from 64 schools in Western Alaska submitted artworkand literature entries this spring for the 8th annual Goose Calendar Contest, sponsored in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Final judging of approximately 300 entries will take place tomorrow, Thursday, March 18, between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. in room 133 of the federal building in downtown Anchorage, 222 W. 7th Ave. The best time for photos will probably be in the early afternoon.

The theme of this years contest, "Geese: Conserving and Sharing Our Alaskan Heritage," continues the contests emphasis on cooperative concern and management of the wildlife resources of Western Alaska. The students, in kindergarten through 12th grade, come predominately from Inupiat, Yupik and Aleut homes on Selawik, Yukon Delta, Togiak, Alaska Peninsula, Izembek and the Alaska Maritime national wildlife refuges. Hundreds of miles of coastline and thousands of acres of wetlands provide habitat for geese in Western Alaska where populations of four species of geese - cackling Canada geese, Pacific black brant, Pacific whitefronted geese and emperor geese - are finally stabilizing after several years of conservation efforts.

The contests five judges are all Alaska Natives. In addition to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, contest sponsors include the Association of Village Council Presidents; National Audubon Society; Ducks Unlimited, Inc.; and Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

-FWS-