Jet Smith, of Ooltewah, is the Best of Show winner in the 18th Annual Tennessee Federal Junior Duck Stamp art contest. He was recognized as this year’s overall winner at an awards’ ceremony held at Bass Pro Shops in the Opry Mills Shopping Center.
The Chattanooga area was well-represented in receiving honors in this year’s competition. Three winners are selected for each of the four grade divisions. There were six first place winners from the area.
Jet, 15, is a tenth-grade home school student. He depicted a female and male king eider and used colored pencils in his winning artwork that he titled “In Royal Company.”
Jet competed in the tenth-12th grade division. Last year’s Best of Show winner, tenth grade home school student, Joanna Rush of Chattanooga, was a first place winner in the tenth-12th grade division. Joanna’s entry this year was a male and female green winged teal she named “Rock of Ages.”
Rachael Skillman, of Chattanooga, was a first place winner in the fourth-sixth grade division after earning a first place award last year in the K-third grade category. The area swept first place in the seventh-ninth grade division as Caitlin Maupin (Ooltewah), Kelsey Skillman (Chattanooga), and McKenzie Covrig (Georgetown).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service serves as the sponsor of Tennessee’s Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency serves as a partner in the contest.
Jet’s winning artwork will appear on the Tennessee waterfowl stamp which will be available early next year. Proceeds from the stamp’s sales go to benefit the waterfowl program. The state winner also advances to the national competition.
The 36 first, second and third place Tennessee winners will also be on display at locations around the state throughout the following year. For more information about this program, display locations or to purchase a Federal Junior Duck Stamp, see the refuge website at www.fws.gov/TennesseeRefuge, or call the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge at 731 642-2091.
The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is an educational program designed to teach wetland habitat and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school.