The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program is a unique conservation education curriculum tailored to students in grades K through 12. Public and private school teachers throughout the participating states use the curriculum to conduct classroom activities relating to conservation, wildlife art, and philatelic topics.
For example, one of the suggested classroom activities is developing "Junior Duck Stamp" designs, some of which are entered into a statewide art competition.
Each fall, Junior Duck Stamp curriculum guides are mailed to teachers throughout participating states for use during the school year, with the contest judging taking place in the spring.
States participating in the program this year include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The program is designed to present scientific and wildlife management principles in a dynamic, active, visual arts curriculum.
"The appeal of the Junior Duck Stamp Program is the fact it offers youngsters a unique opportunity to develop their artistic talents while learning about wetlands and waterfowl conservation," said Service Director Mollie Beattie. "And educators have an innovative way to bring together teaching for science and the arts, stimulating new interest in both."
State Junior Duck Stamp contests are modeled after the Federal Duck Stamp Competition held by the Fish and Wildlife Service each year to choose the design for the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (commonly called the Duck Stamp) required of waterfowl hunters 16 years of age or older.
In each state, Junior Duck Stamp design entries are sent in the spring to a designated facility where they are judged by a group of 3 to 5 persons well known or active in the wildlife art or conservation community.
Three national winners are later chosen from the 24 state winners by the judges of the previous years Federal Duck Stamp Contest. The national winners, along with one of their parents and their art teachers, are awarded a 3-day trip to Washington, DC. The winning designs also are used in exhibits which travel throughout the United States, appearing at national wildlife refuges, wildlife festivals, museums, galleries, and state fairs.
"Educating Americas youth about conservation is one of the Services most crucial endeavors," said Director Beattie. "Efforts such as the Junior Duck Stamp Program are key to instilling a conservation ethic in future generations."
This past year, a new Junior Duck Stamp was created featuring 1993 national winner Jason Parsons colored pencil design of a redhead duck. It is sold for $5 by the Fish and Wildlife Service as well as cooperating state agencies. When a state chooses to sell the stamp, 3 dollars of the 5-dollar stamp can be used to administer the Junior Duck Stamp Contest in that state or for state conservation programs, while $2 goes to the Fish and Wildlife Service to administer the program.
The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program and Design Contest is supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; the Coleman Company; Field and Stream magazine; Ducks Unlimited, Inc.; The Wetlands Institute of Stone Harbor, New Jersey; Michigan Duck Hunters Tournament, Inc.; South Dakota State University; and numerous state natural resource agencies.
For more information on the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program and Design Contest, contact Program Manager JoAnn Schneider, 202-208 4354, or write: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program and Design Contest, 1849 C Street, NW. Room 2058, Washington, DC, 20240.
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
