The winning artwork from the 2016 Tennessee Junior Duck Stamp Contest will be featured on the 2017 collectible stamp. Dyersburg resident Mary Alford’s Best of Show depicted three cinnamon teal.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is taking orders for the collectible state waterfowl stamp that is produced annually and sold for conservation education.
The TWRA has taken the Best of Show winning artwork each year since 1999 from the state’s Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest to create the collectible stamp.
The Tennessee Junior Duck Stamp program is an art contest managed by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service designed to teach the importance of conserving wetlands habitat and waterfowl to students. It pairs science, the arts, and other core subjects to creatively teach greater awareness of our natural resources.
As part of the program, students are invited to participate in an annual art competition. Creating an entry is a valuable experience. It helps students tie together lessons on animal form and function, plant science, observation, wetland habitats, and more. In the visual arts, students practice sketching, drawing, painting, and composition.
This year’s duck stamp comes from the artwork that was selected as Best of Show winner in the 2016 contest. Mary Alford from Dyersburg won the prestigious Best of Show honor for her depiction of three cinnamon teal. The 16-year-old created her winning entry in colored pencil.
The public is invited to purchase the collectible stamps. Each state stamp is numbered and printed in full color, measuring 1 2/8 by 2 inches. In addition to this year’s stamp, all previous stamps since 1999 are available.
Funds from the sale of the stamps will be used for habitat improvement. Stamps are $11 each and may be ordered by completing the Wildlife Stamp order form located in the Watchable Wildlife Information under Wildlife Enthusiasts on the TWRA website at www.tnwildlife.org.
Students from across Tennessee participate each year in the contest. The entry deadline is each March and winners are presented awards at a ceremony in the spring. (To obtain a copy of the free curriculum or for more information on the Junior Duck Stamp Program, contact the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge at (731) 642-2091.)
Winners from all 50 states compete with best-of-show winners each year. The winner of the national contest becomes the artwork used for the Federal Junior Duck Stamp each year.
The public is reminded that the State of Tennessee Waterfowl stamp is voluntary and not required to hunt. However, the Federal Duck Stamp is required to hunt waterfowl in Tennessee.