The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today a redhead duck will be featured on the 2006-2007 Junior Duck Stamp. The design for the new stamp, painted by 15 year-old Rebekah Nastav of Amoret, Missouri was chosen by a panel of judges on April 20 at the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest held in Washington, DC.
The acrylic painting, entitled "Morning Swim," 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, the District of Columbia and American Samoa. The 2006-2007 Federal Junior Duck Stamp, which the Fish and Wildlife Service makes available for $5 to stamp collectors, conservationists, and the general public will be released on June 1, 2006. Proceeds from Junior Duck Stamp sales are used to support environmental education efforts and awards for contest winners.
"I am so impressed with the skill of these young artists in depicting our Nations waterfowl," said Lynn Scarlett, Acting Secretary of the Interior. "Equally impressive is their commitment to wetlands conservation and education. It is uplifting to see this next generation of citizen-conservationists apply their creative energies to the Junior Duck Stamp program. These students represent the future of the Federal Duck Stamp program and the vital wetland habitats the program secures."
Brett Cooper of Harrisburg, Nebraska took second place with an acrylic painting depicting a pair of canvasbacks called "Tranquil Morning".
Third place went to Brian Murillo, of Norwalk, Iowa for his rendition of a lesser scaup in flight done in acrylic.
The National Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest is the culmination of a year long Junior Duck Stamp conservation curriculum used by educators across the nation. Each State hosted competitions from February until mid-April where more than 34,000 Junior Duck Stamp design entries were judged by 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 to be honored at a First Day of Sale Ceremony in June. The first-place winner also receives a $5,000 award. The second place winner receives $3,000 and the third-place winner receives $2,000.
Judges for this years national Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest were Jaye Boswell, founder of the Florida Junior Duck Program; Sherrie Russell Meline, winner of the 2006 Federal Duck Stamp competition; Harry Burroughs, Staff Director of the U.S. Congress Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans; John Berry, director of the National Zoological Park; and Virginia Williams, former opera singer, patron of the arts and mother of D.C. mayor Anthony Williams.
The First Day of Sale Ceremony for the 2006-2007 Federal and Junior Duck Stamps will be held on Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 11 a.m. at the 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. It is free and open to the public. Both duck stamp artists will be available to sign stamps and covers at this event, and the U.S. Postal Service will have a special cancellation on-hand for collectors.
For more information and a complete list of images and contest results, please see the Duck Stamp Programs home page at www.fws.gov/duckstamps
