Monicas drawing was selected from close to 1,500 entries from Illinois students in kindergarten to 12th grade. "Selecting one piece from all of those submitted was tough," said Jim Gritman, chief judge for the contest and Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "But it was a task that I thoroughly enjoyed."
Other judges for the contest included Brent Manning, Director of the Illinois Department of Conservation, J. Roberts Sampson, Illinois Board of Education, David Kennedy, Field Operations Supervisor - Ducks Unlimited, and Frank Bellrose, biologist and author of "Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America". Judges were looking for aesthetic quality as well as realism in the designs.
The purpose of the contest is to help expose youth to the topic of wetlands and waterfowl conservation. By working through the classroom, educators and conservationists have a tool for reaching students throughout the country. Special booklets provide teachers with activities, lesson plans and background information.
In acknowledgment of the integral part teachers and parents play in the education and the future of the nations students, Monica, one of her parents and her teacher, Steve Mullins, will receive a trip to Washington D.C.; free hotel stay, and tours of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the Smithsonian. They will also attend the Federal Duck Stamp Contest judging, and reception at the Capitol.
As a recent graduate of Hamilton High School, Monica plans to continue her pursuits in the field of art. "I will be attending Monmouth College in the fall majoring in art education," said Monica. "I hope to become an art teacher."
Anyone interested in finding out more about Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contests can call their local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office, or the Duck Stamp Office in Washington D.C.; 202-208-2643.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 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 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 governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
