Press Releases
12/22/2023
2024 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp Art Competition Welcomes Entries through March 15, 2024
Inspiring Youth Conservation Awareness through the Arts
(HARTFORD) — Entries are now being accepted for the 2024 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp Art Competition. This annual competition, which seeks creative young artists and art educators in Connecticut, is coordinated and sponsored by the Connecticut Waterfowl Association in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The competition is part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) environmental education program known as the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program.
This competition is open to all students, kindergarten through grade 12, who are Connecticut residents. To enter, students create and submit a drawing or painting featuring native waterfowl (ducks or geese). There is no cost, and submissions must be postmarked by March 15, 2024.
To encourage more young people to explore the natural world and increase conservation awareness, the Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp “Best in Show” winner will be featured as the 2025 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp. The "Best in Show" winner will also be an entry for the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest.
Since 1993, the sale of Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamps (previously known as Duck Stamps) has generated more than $1.5 million for Connecticut wetland conservation initiatives while also promoting the arts and conservation for local students. Proceeds from the sale of all Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamps and artwork reproductions are deposited in the Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Account, which is the sole source of money for many of the wetland projects that are conducted in our state. This fund is crucial for addressing threats facing wetlands statewide, many of which are amplified by climate change.
Migratory Bird Conservation dollars are responsible for:
- The restoration and enhancement of more than 3,845 acres of wetlands in the state, mostly in state-owned wildlife management areas,
- The purchase of 75 acres of critical wildlife habitat, and
- The completion of habitat projects at more than 50 sites statewide.
Approximately 274 birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles in the state that rely upon clean, healthy wetlands have benefitted from Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp-funded projects.
The Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp historically featured a painting of a native waterfowl species created by a professional artist. However, starting with the competition held in 2020, the Conservation Stamp Committee made the decision to feature the artwork of a Connecticut student on the annual state Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp.
Details on the contest, including entry forms and a reference sheet (required for students in grades 7-12 to verify the authenticity of the student's work), can be found on the DEEP website at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Stamp/Connecticut-Junior-Duck-Stamp-Art-Contest.
Submitted artwork will be judged in four groups according to grade level, encouraging artists of all ages and ability levels to be inspired and join in on the contest’s creative fun and learning. First, second, and third-place entries will be selected from each group, and prizes will be awarded. A “Best in Show” is selected by the judges from the 12 first-place winners. The “Best in Show,” in addition to being featured on the Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp, then is entered into the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest, which is sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The first-place design from the nationwide contest is used to create a national Junior Duck Stamp for the following year.
The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program is a multidisciplinary curriculum aligned with national science and visual arts education standards. Through art, it teaches students about wetland and waterfowl conservation, migration, and land stewardship. It encourages youth to investigate biology and wildlife management and challenges them to express and share what they have learned with others. More information about the USFWS Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program, including helpful youth and educator guides, is available on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website at https://www.fws.gov/program/junior-duck-stamp.
Migratory bird hunters are required to purchase a Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp; however, all wildlife enthusiasts are encouraged to buy an annual stamp to help fund wetland conservation and enhancement projects. Connecticut stamps cost $17 and can be purchased anywhere hunting and fishing licenses are sold or through Connecticut’s Online Outdoor Licensing System (https://portal.ct.gov/CTOutdoorLicenses) under the "Other" category. Stamps also can be purchased from DEEP’s License and Revenue office by sending a check for $17 to DEEP License and Revenue, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106 (ordered stamps will be sent through the mail).
Conservation Edition Prints of Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp artwork for 2017 through 2023 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamps are available for purchase in limited quantities. All proceeds from the sale of these prints go into the Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. Those interested in purchasing prints from 2017 through 2023 should contact DEEP Wildlife Division biologist Min Huang at min.huang@ct.gov or 860-418-5959.
Image of the 2024 Connecticut Stamp Artwork – Artist: Sulan Zhang of Tolland, Winner of the 2023 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Competition.
More at: portal.ct.gov/deep
- Twitter: @CTDEEPNews
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Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110