Young artists sought for Junior Duck Stamp design contest

The 2005 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Contest information is open to all students attending public, private, or home schools in kindergarten through 12th grade. Entries must be original (not copies of previous duck stamp contest winners or published pictures), hand-created drawings (not computer-generated) of live North American ducks, geese or swans.

Patterned after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's highly successful Federal Duck Stamp Program for adult artists, the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program is designed to increase awareness of the need to conserve North America's wetlands and waterfowl through an educational curriculum incorporating art and wildlife management principles.

The entries are first judged at the state level. A panel of Nevada judges will select three first-, three second-, three third-place and 16 honorable mention winners from each of four age groups (kindergarten-third grade, fourth-sixth, seventh-ninth and 10th-12th).

The winners will receive ribbons and prizes. All entrants receive a certificate of appreciation.

The Nevada Best of Show entry will be submitted to the National Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest to be judged against the Best of Show entries of all other participating states.

The first-place winner at the national contest will receive a $5,000 cash award and a free trip to Washington, D.C., with his/her art teacher and one parent to attend the First Day of Sales Ceremony for the Federal Duck Stamp Contest.

The winning stamp design will be printed as the 2004 Junior Duck Stamp.

The second-place national winner will receive a $3,000 cash award, and the third-place winner a $2,000 cash award.

The conservation messages included on the entry forms will also be judged at the national level, with $500 awarded to the first-place message, $300 to second place and $200 to third place.

Guidelines and entry forms for the contest can be obtained at http://duckstamps.fws.gov. An educational curriculum is also available.

The deadline for entry submission is March 15.