A painting by Ellery Norwood of East Burke won the Best of Show in the Vermont competition of the 2021 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest. The judging was held at the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Silvio Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge on March 23rd. Ellery, a student at Lyndon Institute, entered a painting of a mallard. The Vermont Best of Show artwork will now compete in the national contest. Ellery’s artwork will be included in an exhibit that will tour the United States for the coming year.

The conservation and design program is organized each year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is part of a program that teaches students in grades K-12 about wetlands and waterfowl conservation. The art contest is modeled after the Federal Duck Stamp Contest for adult artists. Students create original artwork showing North American ducks, geese, or swans in their natural habitats. First, second, third and honorable mention awards are given out in four age categories.

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program was created in 1989. Today more than 30,000 students throughout the United States, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands participate in the Junior Duck Stamp Contest annually. The preparation and participation in the program itself are an educational experience in that the students are required to think about and understand the fundamental principles of anatomy and environmental sciences. It also provides an opportunity for students to express their knowledge of the beauty and diversity of wildlife artistically. The first-place national winning design is used to create the Federal Junior Duck Stamp. Proceeds from the Junior Duck Stamps support environmental education by providing awards and scholarships for students, teachers, and schools.