WYOMING — The winners of the 2023 Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Program were recently announced from the 211 total art entries that were received from around the state, from students in kindergarten up to 12th grade. Students can also include a “conservation message” with their art, which summarizes what they learned through the program. Amelia Kousoulos of Powell, WY submitted this year’s winning conservation message: “Protecting even one habitat can preserve many others. Just one small act can save many creatures.”
Wyoming’s 2023 Best of Show artwork, pictured below, is a colored pencil rendition of a ruddy duck, titled “Sitting Duck” by Hayden Watts of Powell, WY.
Hayden Watts’s rendition of the ruddy duck and Amelia Kousoulos’s conservation message both advanced to represent Wyoming at the 2023 National Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest which was judged on Friday, April 14th, 2023. The new Junior Duck Stamp will be released in June of 2023 and will be available for $5 at www.duckstamp.com as well as from some U.S. Postal Service locations, National Wildlife Refuges, and through the Amplex Corporation. Proceeds from the sale of the stamps support conservation education and provide prizes, awards and scholarships for students participating in the Junior Duck Stamp Program.
Wyoming’s Junior Duck Stamp Program also awards a “Betty Nelson Artistic Promise Award” to the youngest age groups to an artist or artists the judges feel exhibit exemplary artistic promise. This year’s Betty Nelson Artistic Promise Award went to both Aven Walrath of Rock Springs (below, first) and Bridger Hatling of Pine Haven, WY (below, second).
This educational program uses both science and art principles to teach wetland habitat and waterfowl biology to students in kindergarten through high school. The art contest provides an opportunity for students to artistically express their knowledge of the diversity and beauty of waterfowl and their habitat. Educational guides for youth, educators, home school, and non-traditional education are available through the Junior Duck Stamp Program. Please contact us at (307) 201-5433 or [email protected] for free copies.
The contest was judged in four age groups, Group 1 included Kindergarten through 3rd grade, Group 2 included 4th grade through 6th grade, Group 3 included 7th grade through 9th grade, and Group 4 included 10th grade through 12th grade. The following is a list of first, second, and third places, as well as the honorable mentions from each group for student’s Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Program artwork.
Group 1 (grades K-3)
| Place | First Name | Last Name | Species | City |
| 1st & Betty Nelson Artistic Promise Award | Aven | Walrath | Ruddy Duck | Powell |
| 1st | Olivia | Kimble | Mallard | Rock Springs |
| 1st | Amber | Hoffman | Swan | Cokeville |
| 2nd | Edie | Fleming | Canadian goose | Cokeville |
| 2nd | Kyler | Hobbs | Canadian goose | Cokeville |
| 2nd | Katieanne | Worden | Trumpeter swan | Rock Springs |
| 3rd | Roland | Dayton | Red-head duck | Cokeville |
| 3rd | Howard | Rose | Mallard | Cokeville |
| 3rd | Slack | Pope | Teal-winged duck | Cokeville |
| HM | Elijah | Nielsen | Mallard | Cokeville |
| HM | Taizleigh | Rowe | Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Jack | Tims | Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Zoey | Peterson | Candian Goose | Cokeville |
| HM | Hoyt | Davis | Mallard | Cokeville |
| HM | Maddie | Peterson | Canadian Goose | Cokeville |
| HM | Allison | Adams | Mallard | Cokeville |
| HM | Tayzlee | Clark | Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Karley | Clark | Canvas Duck | Cokeville |
| HM | Lane | Lester | Canadian Goose | Cokeville |
| HM | Kindlee | Thrash | Mallard | Cokeville |
| HM | Tirzah | Rowe | Mallard | Cokeville |
| HM | Tyannna | Nelson | Trumpeter Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Kinley | Teichert | Trumpeter Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Bybee | Dayton | Teal-winged Duck | Cokeville |
| HM | Lexy | Bennington | Pintail | Cokeville |
Group 2 (grades 4-6)
| Place | First Name | Last Name | Species | City |
| 1st & Betty Nelson Artistic Promise Award | Bridger | Hatling | Drake mallard | Pine Haven |
| 1st | Chasen | Brasington | American shoveler | Rock Springs |
| 1st | Lumin | Brasington | Harlequin duck | Rock Springs |
| 2nd | James | Gardner | King Eider | Rock Springs |
| 2nd | Jace | Aullman | American blackduck | Rock Springs |
| 2nd | Hannah | Kimble | Long-tailed duck | Rock Springs |
| 3rd | Tenlee | Hanson | Fulvous whistling-duck | Rock Springs |
| 3rd | Natalie | Hoffman | Canadian goose | Cokeville |
| 3rd | Lydia | Waite | Mallard | Powell |
| HM | Luke | Kimble | Redhead | Rock Springs |
| HM | Eli | Fleming | Canvas Duck | Cokeville |
| HM | Elsie | Ligori | Cinnamon Teal (implied) | Jackson |
| HM | Denali | Keetch | Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Austin | Dayton | Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Mason | Hobbs | Canadian Goose | Cokeville |
| HM | Talon | Teichert | Canadian Goose | Cokeville |
| HM | Matt | Tims | Mallard | Cokeville |
| HM | Trevis | Dayton | Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Anna | Dietz | Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Mckay | Davis | Swan | Cokeville |
| HM | Maliyah | Pauni | Swans | Cokeville |
| HM | Asher | Lyman | Mallard | Cokeville |
| HM | Bo | Horton | Mohawk Duck | Cokeville |
| HM | Ari | Groll | Swans | Cokeville |
| HM | Genevieve | Himmerich | Canadian Goose | Cokeville |
| HM | Carter | Child | Mallard | Cokeville |
Group 3 (grades 7-9)
| Place | First Name | Last Name | Species | City |
| 1st & Wyoming Best of Show | Hayden | Watts | Ruddy duck | Powell |
| 1st | Brooklyn | Neves | Mallard | Powell |
| 1st | Nyah | Johnson | American wigeon | Powell |
| 2nd | Addison | Barnes | Wood duck | Cokeville |
| 2nd | Isabelle | Urbach | Harlequin | Powell |
| 2nd | Maria | Estes | American wigeon | Powell |
| 3rd | Seinna | Weske | Trumpeter swan | Cokeville |
| 3rd | Deeanna | Gibson | Fulvous whistling-duck | Powell |
| 3rd | Landon | Hyde | Cinnamon teal | Powell |
| HM | Clay | Teichert | Ruddy Duck | Cokeville |
| HM | Bailey | Bird | Bufflehead | Cokeville |
| HM | Nephi | Cook | Wood Duck | Cokeville |
| HM | Joshua | Floyd | Blue winged teal | Cokeville |
| HM | Ridge | Barnes | Mallard | Cokeville |
| HM | Savannah | Moore | Trumpeter Swan | Rock Springs |
| HM | Jocelyn | Shatnz | Trumpeter Swan | Rock Springs |
| HM | Jesse | Kimble | Ruddy Duck | Rock Springs |
| HM | Emma | Carsey | Powell | |
| HM | Ashton | McDaniel | Bufflehead | Powell |
| HM | Lexi | Reeves | King Eider | Powell |
| HM | Hali | Hancock | Harlequin Duck | Powell |
| HM | Kadence | DelBiaggio | Mallard | Powell |
| HM | David | Contreras | Ruddy | Powell |
| HM | Marcos | Velasquez | Powell | |
| HM | Alyssa | Godsey | King Eider | Powell |
Group 4 (grades 10-12)
| Place | First Name | Last Name | Species | City |
| 1st & Conservation Message winner | Amelia | Kousoulos | Mallard | Powell |
| 1st | Kaitlyn | Dean | Green-winged teal | Cokeville |
| 1st | Allie | Gilliatt | Nene | Powell |
| 2nd | Haylee | Akin | Pintail | Powell |
| 2nd | Patience | Frame | Mallard | Powell |
| 2nd | Marissa | Rodriguez | Ruddy duck | Powell |
| 3rd | Sophia | Petrie | Gadwall | Powell |
| 3rd | Amelia | Richardson | Emperor goose | Cokeville |
| 3rd | Venice | Gann | Trumpeter swan | Powell |
| HM | Hadlee | Lennon | Wood Duck | Powell |
| HM | Danika | Fagan | Fulvous Whistling Duck | Powell |
| HM | Kaci | Kysor | Green winged teal | Powell |
| HM | Danica | Bobick | Spectacled Eider | Powell |
| HM | Regan | Sapp | Redhead | Powell |
| HM | Jazlyn | Farman | Northern Pintail | Powell |
| HM | Mckah | Foley | Cinnamon Teal | Powell |
| HM | Brynn | Hillman | Mallard | Powell |
| HM | Tevon | Schultz | Blude winged teal | Powell |
| HM | Chance | Franks | Harlequin | Powell |
| HM | Krystian | Nielsen | Mallard | Cokeville |
| HM | Grace | Lengfelder | Harlequin duck | Powell |
| HM | Lucy | Whipple | Wood duck | Powell |
| HM | Teagan | Southwick | Bufflehead | Powell |
| HM | Lauryn | Bennett | Green-winged teal | Powell |
| HM | Shelby | Carter | Barrows Goldeneye | Powell |
Students submitted artwork featuring the following native North American species: whistling ducks, swans, geese, dabbling ducks, diving ducks, sea ducks, mergansers, stiff tails, or Hawaiian ducks. Artwork entries were judged on the basis of original design, anatomical accuracy, artistic composition and suitability for reproduction on a 1” by 1.5” stamp. For more information on contest rules and educational materials for teachers and supervising adults visit https://www.fws.gov/birds/education/junior-duck-stamp-conservation-program.php.
Copies of the winning artwork will be exhibited around the state. A schedule of the Wyoming state tour will be available soon at https://www.fws.gov/refuge/national-elk. The winners of the Jr. Duck Stamp contest will also be part of an online exhibit on our regional Flickr site, https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/albums.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov.
