Lincoln Co. youth winners in state duck stamp contest
On Thursday, March 30, student art entries for the 2023 Montana State Junior Duck Stamp Contest from across Montana were judged at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Stevensville.
The Junior Duck Stamp Program is a dynamic arts and science curriculum designed to teach youth about waterfowl and the habitat that they depend on. In addition to an original art entry, each student is encouraged to create a conservation message that explains what they have learned about wetlands, conservation, waterfowl and wildlife.
The artwork and conservation message are considered a visual “term paper” of what students have learned about waterfowl and wetlands.
Twenty-three native species of North American waterfowl were depicted across the 64 entries.
A panel of judges selected the entry of Hunter Reynolds of Eureka as the “Best of Show.” Reynold’s acrylic painting depicts a pair of redhead ducks in their natural habitat. Reynold’s entry has been forwarded for further competition against the 49 other Best of Show entries from each state.
One of the 50 Best of Show entries will be selected as the National Junior Duck Stamp Program winner, officially printed as a stamp representing the Junior Duck Stamp Program. The judging for the 2023 National Junior Duck Stamp contest will occur at the National Conservation Training Center on April 21, 2023.
Montana first place finishers
Grades K-3 – Luke Van Orden (Eureka), Karsyn Drylie (Eureka), Everett Ellingson (Stevensville); Grades 4-6 – Hunter Reynolds (Eureka), Bryson Traina (Eureka), Emilie Housen (Eureka); Grades 7-9 – Judah Montplaisir (Billings), Aly Meester (Rexford), Jasmine Agin (Stevensville); Grades 10-12 – Lina Sturman (Saint Ignatius), Sophia Leggat (Plains), Piper Bergstrom (Plains)
Second place finishers
Grades K-3 – Kingston Santos (Florence), Lyla Cooper (Stevensville), Hannah Montplaisir (Billings); Grades 4-6 – Adyn Spafford (Stevensville), Makenna Montplaisir (Billings), Emmit Phelps (Stevensville); Grades 7-9 – Jada Spafford (Stevensville), Elennor Bebb (Plains), Lillian Agin (Stevensville).
The conservation message that was selected to represent Montana is, “Conservation is the painting of life that we preserve in a museum of the world” by Hunter Reynolds of Eureka.
Awards will be mailed or delivered to students in April. Again, the Refuge congratulates and appreciates the efforts of all that make this program a success.
The Refuge would like to congratulate and thank all of the artists for the research, time, effort and talent put into their entries and we thank all of the parents, teachers, administrators and mentors for their support, encouragement and mentoring of their students.