The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced yesterday that a pair of fulvous whistling ducks will be featured on the 2004-2005 Junior Duck Stamp. The design for the new stamp, painted by 17 year-old Adam Nisbett of Saint James, Missouri, was chosen by a panel of judges on April 24 at the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest in Ocean City, Maryland.
The acrylic painting, entitled "Morning Watch," which previously won the Missouri State Junior Duck Stamp Contest, was judged the top painting among the Best-of-State entries from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. The 2004-2005 Federal Junior Duck Stamp, which the Fish and Wildlife Services Federal Duck Stamp Office makes available for $5 to stamp collectors and conservationists, will be released to the public on July 1, 2004. Proceeds from Junior Duck Stamp sales are used to support environmental education efforts and awards for contest winners.
Adam Nisbetts art teacher is his mother, Kim Nisbett. He is home schooled by his parents.
" Winning the Junior Duck Stamp Contest is a major achievement, but each of the more than 26,000 students who entered the contest this year gained something immeasurable from their participation," said Service Director Steve Williams. "The curriculum associated with the Junior Duck Stamp contest teaches a greater awareness for conservation in Americas youth. By combining art with waterfowl biology, students learn about the importance of conserving migratory birds and the habitat that supports them and countless other species."
Lauren Haas of Toledo, Ohio took second place with a watercolor and acrylic depiction of a trumpeter swan called "Smooth landing." The 17-year-old studies at Toledo Christian School. Dave Hamrick is her art teacher.
Third place went to Bethany Cannon, of Prattville, Alabama, for her rendition of a redhead duck done in acrylic paint. Cannons teacher is Susan Parker of Prattville High School.
The National Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest is the culmination of a year-long Junior Duck Stamp conservation curriculum used by educators in their classrooms. Each State hosted competitions in March and April where Junior Duck Stamp design entries were judged by a group of people active in the local wildlife art or conservation community.
State "Best of Show" winning designs were then sent to Washington, D.C., where the top three entries were chosen by a panel of five judges. The Junior Duck Stamp Contest winner receives a free trip to Washington, D.C., along with the art teacher, a parent and the state coordinator the following October to be honored at the Federal Duck Stamp Contest. The first-place winner also receives a $4,000 scholarship award. The second place winner receives $2,000 and the third-place winner receives $1,000.
Judges for this years national Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest were:
- Scot Storm, the 2004-2005 Federal Duck Stamp Artist. Scots depiction of two redheads will be unveiled as the new Federal Duck Stamp on July 1, 2004. In addition to winning the Federal competition last November, Storm also won the 2004 Minnesota and Oklahoma State Conservation Stamp competitions.
- Bob Guge, World Champion Bird Carver. Guge has won countless carving competitions, and won the 2004 World Championship for Decorative Miniature Wildfowl at the Ward World Championship Carving Competition held at Ocean City in conjunction with the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Guge also serves as a judge for the Ward Competition.
- Bill Gicker, Creative Director of Stamp Design for the United States Postal Service. An expert in stamp design, Gicker works with artists and designers to select and approve the designs for dozens of postage stamps each year.
- Greg Schildwachter, a biologist and conservationist who is currently the Majority Staff Director for the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water. Schildwachter holds a PhD. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana.
- Marshall Howe, an ornithologist who currently manages the U.S. Geological Surveys Migratory Bird Inventory and Monitoring Program at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland. Dr. Howes research focuses on population monitoring, behavioral ecology, shorebird ecology, and conservation of North American birds.
For more information or winning images, please see http://duckstamps.fws.gov or call 202/208-5636.
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 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 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 Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
