Fish and Wildlife Service
For release October 27, 1994 Janet Tennyson 202-208-5634
INNOVATIVE CONSERVATION EDUCATION PROGRAM GOES NATIONWIDE;
FROM COAST TO COAST, STUDENTS LAUD THE "JUNIOR DUCK"This school year, tens of thousands of budding young artists will learn about wetlands and waterfowl while refining their artistic talents through participation in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program. From New Hampshire to New Mexico, Washington State to Washington, DC, school systems in 49 states and the District of Columbia will be using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's most successful conservation education curriculum in the classroom.
The "Junior Duck" program has rapidly expanded since it was launched just 5 years ago as a pilot project at a Florida elementary school. This year, it will be used in every state except Hawaii, which is expected to participate next year.
"The expansion of 'Junior Duck' proves it successfully combines science and the arts in a manner that's as appealing to teachers as it is to students," said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Mollie Beattie. "Educators all across the country are now helping to instill a conservation ethic in American youngsters."
In September 1994, the program received a boost from Congress when legislation was passed allowing the Fish and Wildlife Service to market a Federal Junior Duck Stamp. Proceeds from the sale of these stamps will support awards and conservation education scholarships to the students, teachers, and schools participating in the Junior Duck program.
The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program is a unique education curriculum for students in grades K-12. Junior Duck Stamp guides are distributed to teachers throughout participating states in the fall for use during the school year. Public and private school teachers in the participating states use the curriculum to conduct classroom activities relating to conservation, wildlife art, and philatelic topics.
One of the suggested classroom activities is creating "Junior Duck Stamp" designs. Teachers enter some of their students' Junior Duck Stamp designs into a statewide art contest, where they are judged by selected members of the wildlife art and/or conservation communities. Among other awards, judges choose the state's "Best of Show" winning design.
Each state's Best of Show design will be entered into a national competition in June 1995, when the top three national winners will be chosen from the 50 Best of Show design winners by the judges of the previous year's Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. National winners will be awarded scholarships as well as a 3-day trip to Washington, DC, along with their teachers and one of their parents, where they will be recognized at the 1995 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest.
The state Junior Duck Stamp Design Contests are modeled after the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest held annually by the Fish and Wildlife Service to choose the design for the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (commonly called the Duck Stamp). Duck Stamps are a required annual purchase of waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older.
The Fish and Wildlife Service will create Junior Duck Stamps each year from the first place winner's design and sell them for $5. Junior Duck Stamps will be sold through the Service's Federal Duck Stamp Office, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC, 20240; telephone 202-208-4354.
For more information concerning the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program and Design Contest, contact Program Manager JoAnn Schneider at the above address.
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