JACKSON, Wyo. — The National Elk Refuge will be hosting the annual 2024 Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Competition this March.
The Wyoming Competition is a part of the National competition that fosters wildlife watching, art creation and conservation.
This art competition is open to all students in grades K-12 enrolled in Wyoming public,
private, tribal and homeschools. To enter work in the 2024 competition, draw or paint a native North American waterfowl on a 9”x12” sheet of paper. The image must be a live portrayal of a native North American duck, swan or goose.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, last year’s National winner was Linyue Mila Tong, 15, from Virginia who took top honors with an acrylic painting of a hooded merganser that just caught a fish. Grace Cao, 12, of Texas provided the 2023 winning conservation message of “Never duck the chance of conservation.”
New this year, the Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Program will have two “Best of Jackson Hole” winners for Teton County (one for K-6 grade and one for 7-12 grade) in addition to the state best-of-show winner. The best-of-show winner in Wyoming will go on to compete in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Competition. The winning design will be printed on the next year’s Junior Duck Stamp and sold for $5 each – the proceeds of which go towards wetland conservation and environmental education.
Artwork will be judged by local Wyoming wildlife artists and outdoor professionals in early April. In Wyoming, a total of 36 winners and 64 honorable mentions will be awarded across four age groups, all of whom will receive prizes.
According to the National Elk Refuge, the Federal Duck Stamp Program was introduced in 1934 in response to loss of wetlands and declines in waterfowl populations in North America. The Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act required that all waterfowl hunters purchase a conservation stamp along with their hunting license in order to raise funds for waterfowl and wetland conservation. By 2000, all 50 states, the District of Colombia and all U.S. Territories participated in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp competition.
Participation packets will be available for pick up from the National Elk Refuge and Greater
Yellowstone Visitor Center (532 N. Cache St.) from mid-January through early March. Participation packets will include instructions, entry form, a 9″x12″ sheet of paper, two pieces of 9″x12″ tagboard and one sheet of 9″x12″ watercolor paper. The Traveling Trunk, full of art supplies for kids to check out for one week at a time, requires pick up and drop off in Jackson at the National Elk Refuge’s Headquarters Office at 675 East Broadway.
To participate in the Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Competition, please review the competition rules, which can be found here. Mail entries to the National Elk Refuge at 675 E. Broadway, PO Box 510, Jackson WY, 83001 by March 15, 2024. For more information, contact the Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Coordinator, Raena Parsons.
