The Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge will host the judging of the Missouri Junior Duck stamp contest on Thursday April 3rd at the Richard Schoettger Conference Building in Columbia, Missouri. The Conference Building is located at the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center at 4200 New Haven Rd. Judging will get underway at 10:00 am and continue until 2:00 pm.
To reach the center take Highway 63 to the AC/Nifong off ramp. This is the southern most off ramp in Columbia. Turn east onto New Haven Rd, which will be a right if you are coming from the south or a left if you are coming in from the north. You will soon pass New Haven School, continue straight approximately 1/2 mile, and the center will be on your right. Turn into the second driveway of the center. The Schoettger Conference Building will be on your left once in the driveway. You may park in any available parking slot.
A panel of 5 judges will review almost 800 different pieces of artwork from students across the state. Judges have diverse backgrounds including a Columbia police officer who is a wildlife artist. Other judges include a professional waterfowl biologist, two professional wildlife artists and Glenn Chambers “Mr. Otter,” the award winning cinematographer, artists and photographer.
One hundred winners are chosen from artist ranging in age from 5 to 18. Four separate age groups will have 25 winners each. From the first place winners in each age group a best of show is selected. Missouri’s best of show will go on to compete against all 50 states at a judging event at the San Diego Zoo on April 17th. Missouri has a winning tradition, producing the national winner in two of the last four years.
Through a generous donation from Bass Pro Shops all first place winners in Missouri will be awarded $50 and the Best of Show will be awarded $500. In addition to cash all 100 winners from Missouri will receive a ribbon a waterfowl identification book, a gift card from Bass Pro, last years winning stamp and a certificate of appreciation.
The Junior Duck stamp contest is a subordinate contest to the national duck stamp contest in which professional artist compete to be selected as the artist of the national waterfowl hunting stamp. The Junior Duck Stamp is made into a collectors stamp available for sale on line at http://www.duckstamp.com. It is not a hunting stamp.
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 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 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.
The Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge encompass over 11,000 acres of public land in eight separate units in the Missouri River Floodplain between Kansas City and St. Louis.
For further information about the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge visit us on the web at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/bigmuddy.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov.
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