1. Jr. Duck Stamp Program Tara Dowdy Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge
**Notes are included throughout the power point presentation…
Tara Dowdy
Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

2. What is the Federal and Jr. Duck Stamp Program?
Federal Duck Stamp Program (1934)
Federal Jr. Duck Stamp Program(1989)
The Federal Duck Stamp Program was established in 1934 to help raise money for land acquisition (the purchase of land) for wildlife. The Federal Duck Stamp can be purchased today for $15. Ninety-eight cents of EACH dollar goes towards the purchasing of wetlands; waterfowl habitat. The Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called the MOST SUCCESSFUL conservation program ever initiated, and is a highly effective way to conserve America’s natural resources! It has also generated more than $750 million, which has been used to purchase over 5.3 million acres of waterfowl habitat! To be able to waterfowl hunt anywhere in the United States, a person must purchase a Federal Duck Stamp. Conservationists, bird lovers, naturalists, etc. also voluntarily purchase the Federal Duck Stamp to help waterfowl.
The Junior Duck Stamp Program is what we are talking about today. The Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) is a pictorial stamp produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to recognize the conservation efforts of young people and support environmental and conservation education programs in the United States. All proceeds of the stamp are used to fund environmental education programs, award the students for their work, and market the JDS program.

3. How the Competition Works…
4-6
7-9
10-12
Three 1st place, three 2nd place, three 3rd place, and 16 honorable mentions are selected from each age category.
“Best of show” is chosen from the1st place winners.
K-12th grade are able to participate. The grades are broken up into 4 different grade categories so the art entries can be judged fairly. K-3rd grade, 4-6th grade, 7-9th grade and 10-12th grade are all judged separately. Within EACH grade category, three 1st place, three 2nd place, and three 3rd place winners are picked. There are also 16 “honorable mentions” selected from EACH age category. The “Best of Show” is chosen from the twelve 1st place winners.
This means there is a total of 100 winners selected from the state of Tennessee. Last year, approx. 550 art entries were entered for TN, so therefore your chances of placing are very high!

4. Guidelines Must be student’s own creation and idea!!!
If student is limited by environment or experience, you can use published images as GUIDES.
Students grades 7-12 must submit Reference Form if they use references!
Must be a U.S. citizens, or legal resident. A Valid SSN must be given for “Best of Show” entry.
It’s very important the know the difference in using published images as guides, and using them to plagiarize! You will be disqualified from the contest if you are caught plagiarizing!!! You can, however, use published images as guides to see what colors, textures, shapes, etc. you need to use for a particular type of waterfowl.
An even better solution to guides is visiting a pond, refuge, park, etc. and taking a picture yourself! You can draw the EXACT same picture and still be YOUR work because you did not steal the image from another person. Also, another good idea to keep your students from plagiarizing is by setting up a mounted waterfowl in the center of your tables and have the students draw it. If you do this, you could even add some fake grass to your display to add ideas for the waterfowl’s habitat!
If you do use a published image as a guide or reference, you MUST submit a reference form if you are in 7th grade or above. 6th grade and below are not required, but encouraged, to submit a reference form.
A great website for waterfowl ID guides is; on this site, you can see several different pictures of several species, learn A LOT of information about them, and even hear the sounds they make! Your students may want this website to take home and study.

5. Who Can Participate?
All K-12 students, public, private, catholic, special education, Jewish, etc.
A student who won first place in the nationals Jr. Duck Stamp Contest last year may not submit this year.
One entry per student
All students K-12 grade are allowed to participate; this includes public, private, catholic, hearing impaired, special education, Jewish, 7th day Adventist, etc. schools. This includes homeschooled children as well.

6. Aesthetic Criteria Form: Is the waterfowl anatomically accurate?
Texture: Are the textures visually and physically appropriate to the species of waterfowl chosen?
Line: Are the details necessary, correct, and effective?
Colors: Are the colors in the illustration appropriate to the selected species and surrounding habitat? Does the illustration accurately depict the species of waterfowl in plumage, habitat and season, in a realistic or decorative depiction of the bird or birds?
Size: Is the visual statement appropriate for a 1 1/2 “ X 1” stamp or will details in the illustration be lost when reduced in size?
Shape: Is the design suited to a horizontal and rectangular stamp shape?
Form: Make sure the anatomy of the duck/goose is correct with the species. Some ducks have larger bills than others, some have longer and bigger bodies, some are small, etc. For example, do not draw a Northern Shoveler with a small bill…Northern Shovelers are known for their large shovel-like bill.
Texture: Not all species of waterfowl have the same texture, especially when you are drawing ducklings. Baby ducks will not be slick and shiny like the adults may look. Baby ducks are covered with fuzzy feathers called down. Also think about the texture of the other things you draw in the picture, such as logs, water, grass, etc.
Line: If details in your background may take away from the duck or goose, you do not have to add them. You want your main focus to be on the waterfowl! Also, are the details correct? For example, If you are drawing details to a wood ducks eye, make sure the eye of the male is red, and the female’s in brown/black.
Colors: Make sure you have the correct color of the species you are trying to depict. For example; a mallard has a green head, not a black one. Something else to pay close attention to is the “speculum”, or the shiny iridescent patch on the birds wing. Make sure it is the correct color.
Size: Make your main subject large and centered. It’s not a good idea to draw several smaller ducks rather than one or two large ones due to the fact that your picture may be shrunk down to the size of a stamp and detail will be lost.
Shape: Make sure your art entry is suitable for a horizontal and rectangular stamp shape! Do NOT draw/paint your entry vertically because it will not fit properly for a stamp.

7. Technical Requirements
Artwork MUST be 9”X12”
Less then 1/4” thick
HORIZONTAL!!!!
Live portrayal of a native North American Duck, swan, or goose. (List given to teacher)
Entries should NOT be matted
No borders
A loose, detachable cover sheet may be laid over the art face to protect it during shipping
No signatures on the front of artwork
N/A-self explanatory

8. Continued…
Entries can be multi-colored, black and white, single color;
Ink, paint, pastel, crayon, or pencil.
Can do scratch-board, airbrush, linoleum printing, paper collage, dry brush, crosshatch, etc.
NO PHOTOGRAPHY or computer generated art.
No lettering, words, signatures or initials.
N/A

9. Creating Your Own Illustration
Have birds in their natural habitat (oceans, lakes, etc.)
Plumage should be appropriate for time of year depicted by environment.
Use your OWN ORIGINAL WORK….DO NOT reproduce another artists’ visual images and present them as your own!
Having birds in their natural habitat is very important. If you are depicting a wood duck, you do not want to draw the wood duck sitting on a rock in the ocean. A wood duck is a dabbler that loves wooded swamps and bottomland hardwood forests. Another example would be the Harlequin duck. The Harlequin duck is a sea duck that we would not find in a wooded swamp type area, so you would want to make sure to draw/paint this duck in an ocean.

10. What Judges look for…
Judging is based on original design, anatomical accuracy, artistic composition, and suitability for reproduction on a 1” by 1½” stamp.
N/A

11. Tips Follow the size requirement of 9" high by 12" wide.
Get outdoors to observe, photograph, and sketch live waterfowl.
Create original art, not copies of someone else's work.
Use the medium you are most comfortable with.
A good drawing makes a good painting; refine your image at the drawing stage.
Create a solid, balanced design such as one that includes a triangle of elements.
Match the species and its seasonal plumage to the correct habitat.
For the last bulleted item; make sure you match the species and it’s seasonal plumage to the correct habitat. Male waterfowl change their colors throughout the year. There are times when a male duck looks a lot like the female, this is called the “eclipse” stage. It’s important that the children research to see if the color of their waterfowls plumage coincides with the particular season they are wanting to depict.

12. Tips Make your species the center of attention.
Focus your detail on waterfowl anatomy.
Don't overdo background scenes; keep it simple.
Use bright, bold, and warm colors.
Use contrasting colors and crisp edges to make your image "pop" from the page.
Consider what your artwork would look like as a small stamp.
Get critiques of your work from artists, teachers, biologists, and others. (waterfowl hunters)
N/A

13. Awards Every entry will receive a Certificate of Participation.
100 Tennessee students (25 in each grade group) receive beautiful first, second, third, or honorable mention ribbons (groups are K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12).
100 Tennessee students also receive a Tennessee Jr. Duck Stamp lapel pin, and a Federal Jr. Duck Stamp.
An award ceremony is held every year for the winners to be recognized. The students will be called forward to receive their award. If the student is not present for the awards ceremony, the awards will be sent to the student by mail. Art teachers and family are encouraged to attend as well. Awards ceremonies have been at the Opryland Hotel, Bass Pro Shops, Zoo’s, etc. and is fun way to get the students recognized, as well as being able to look around and enjoy the area after the ceremony is over.

14. More awards…
36 first, second and third place winners will receive special engraved Junior Duck Stamp plaques.
The Tennessee Best of Show winner receives a $1,000 college scholarship, and their artwork on the state waterfowl stamp.
The Tennessee Best of Show will go on to compete in the national Junior Duck Stamp contest.
N/A

15. Awards National 1st Place-$5,000 National 2nd Place-$3,000
National 3rd Place-$2,000
National Conservation Message 1st Place-$500-(look ahead to learn about the conservation message.)
N/A

16. “Our environment, our responsibility, our future.”
Conservation Message
The conservation message is a short message that expresses the spirit of what they have learned through classroom discussion, research, and planning for their Jr. Duck Stamp Contest.
Very short and to the point
2009 winner;
“Our environment, our responsibility, our future.”
2010 winner;
"Wildlife speaks only the truth about our planet's future, but our greatest challenge is learning to listen."
A conservation message is not required, but is looked at as closely as the artwork itself. If you do not think you have a winning art entry, focus on a simple, but meaningful conservation message, and you may still have a chance at winning $500!

17. Return of Entries
All entries will be returned to the students or the school.
Non-winning entries will be returned by June 1st, 2011.
The 36 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners will receive their artwork 1 year after the state contest date.
All entries will be returned to the students. The art entries that do not place will be sent back immediately after the state judging (normally held in April), as well as the honorable mentions. The thirty-six 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive their artwork a year after the state contest date. Those 36 entries will be displayed across the state of TN at various places for the general public to see. Each of the 36 entries will be matted and placed in thick clear plastic so as to not be smudged.

18. To Enter Contest Fill out entry form (provided to teacher)
Fill out reference form (mandatory for grades 7-12)
Mail in entry to State Coordinator by March 15th!
( The entry form is sent along with that this power point came with. You may also find the entry forms by googleing the Jr. Duck Stamp Program.)
Or you can go to this site;
- and click on “English Entry Form (pdf)”.

19. State Coordinator Joan Stevens Tennessee NWR 3006 Dinkins Lane
Paris, TN
731/
N/A

20. This website given gives step by step instructions on how to draw a duck or goose, and give several examples of species.
Learn to draw waterfowl by viewing the Waterfowl ID and Drawing

21. Parts of a ducks wing
Learning the parts of a duck wing will help you pay attention to detail when creating your picture!
Mostly talk about the Primaries, secondaries, tertials and coverts.
Primaries; the main flight feathers projecting along the outer edge of a bird's wing. The primary feathers propel the bird through the air. They are the largest of the flight feathers and are the farthest away from the body, attached to the skin of the wing on the "hand." In most bird species there are 10 primary feathers on each wing. If these flight feathers are damaged or lost, a bird cannot fly. Secondaries; The secondary flight feathers run along the "arm" of the wing and sustain the bird in the air, giving it lift. The number of secondary feathers varies a great deal among the species. Experiments have proven that if half of the secondaries are removed, a bird will still be able to fly, but some control will be lost.
Tertials; The inner flight feathers of a bird's wing, although not as important in flying as the primary or secondary feathers. The tertiaries (also called 'tertials') are few in number and are embedded in the skin of a bird's 'upper arm'.
Coverts; covert feathers on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts, which as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail. Within each group of wing-coverts, the rows of feathers overlap each other like roof tiles.
**The other main group of flight feathers (not seen on the slide) are the tail feathers. The tail feathers are mainly concerned with steering and balancing; they are used as a rudder, allowing the bird to twist and turn in flight. In addition, these feathers act as an efficient brake prior to landing.

22. Dabblers and Divers
There are two different categories that ducks fall into; dabblers and divers. The divers are going to be the ducks that feed in the deeper water and their entire body will be submerged under the water. Dabblers feed in shallower waters and tip their body forward where only their backsides are upright.

23. Dabbling ducks Feet towards the middle of the body
Feed in shallow waters of marshes and rivers, will feed on cropland
Can walk and run easily on land
Speculum is iridescent and bright
For the last bulleted item; again, the speculum is the bright color patch on the waterfowl’s wing. If you do not see a bright color patch, this more than likely indicates that you are not looking at a dabbling duck, but a diving duck. The dabbling ducks are the only ducks with the bright iridescent wing patches.

24. Diving ducks Feet are toward the back of body
Speculum lack in brilliance
Feed in deeper waters of lakes and rivers
Short tails and huge feet
Patter along water before taking off in flight
Smaller wings, therefore more rapid wing beats
Eats fish, shellfish, mollusks and aquatic plants
For the fourth bulleted item; the diving ducks have huge feet, due to the fact that they swim underneath the water to feed.

25. Examples of Ducks
See if your students can recognize any of these species of waterfowl.
Mallard

26. Northern Pintail

27. This is a hybrid—a mix between a mallard and a northern pintail
This is a hybrid—a mix between a mallard and a northern pintail. Stress to the students that is in unacceptable to depict hybrids in their artwork. There are many types of hybrid ducks and waterfowl hunters tend to get these birds mounted due to their rarity. If a hybrid is entered into the contest, it will be disqualified.

28. Hooded Merganser

29. Canada Goose

30. Green-Winged Teal

31. Northern Shoveler-notice the large shovel-like bill

32. Ruddy Duck

33. Harlequin Duck-notice the habitat which the harlequin prefers.

34. Eiders-another sea duck

35. 2010 Best of show for Tennessee
These next few pictures show the “best of shows” selected for various states. Some “best of shows” are very detailed and many students may get discouraged when viewing these, but notice that further down, there are many “best of shows” that are not as realistic as others. Judges can tell how much time is put into each drawing/painting, how much detail there is to the background, etc. It’s not always the prettiest pictures that wins. You may have a picture of a duck that is phenomenal, but if it’s not placed in the correct habitat, that picture is not going to be selected.

36. For Illinois…

37. ….for Montana

38. For South Carolina…

39. …New Jersey
And no…this is not a photograph 

40. …District of Columbia
As you can see, this picture looks very different from the others as far as detail and technique, but it still the “best of show” for it’s state, as well as the others coming up in the next few slides, so do NOT let your students get discouraged if they are not confident in their drawing abilities.
They don’t have to look like a photograph! This pictures,
along with next few pictures won first place as well!!!

41. …Massachusetts
Watercolor…

42. …Utah
Use colored pencil!

43. For Iowa…

44. For Oklahoma…

45. For New Hampshire…

46. …Wisconsin
This picture is good example of a great drawing of the waterfowl, and there is a lot of detail in the background, BUT…it’s to much detail. The waterfowl tends to get lost in a background that is too “busy”. If this were made into a stamp, you would have a hard time seeing the birds. Remember KISS….keep it simple stupid. (except I don’t like stupid…use the analogy “keep it simple smarty!” or “keep it simple student!”)
What’s wrong with this one??? Way to much going on in the background!

47. 2009 Best of show for… District of Columbia Alabama
These pictures also won “best of show” in 2009, as well as the next few slides.
Alabama

48. Cont…
Maine
Idaho

49. Cont… These great pictures won the same
Best of Show as the previous pictures
for their states in 2009.
Illinois
Missouri

50. YOU CAN DO IT! But don’t forget… no signatures on the front,
no plagiarism/copying,
must be horizontal and on a 9” X 12” paper or
YOUR ARTWORK WILL NOT
BE JUDGED!!!
PLEASEEEEE stress to the students these 3 bulleted items. NO SIGNATURES ON THE FRONT OF THE ARTWORK, no plagiarism, and the artwork must be HORIZONTAL and on a 9” x12” SHEET OF PAPER (or board…doesn’t have to be paper)….these are the 3 main reasons students are disqualified!!! Please double check your students artwork for these 3 things before you send them to Joan Stevens, state Jr. Duck Stamp Program Coordinator.

51. Now Get To It!!!! Do your research
Pick out a species…what type of habitat does he live in?
What time of year are you depicting?
Practice with different mediums
Pay attention to detail
Fill out your forms
Turn in to Joan Stevens to be judged by MARCH 15th!
Deadline is MARCH 15TH!!!!!! DON’T FORGET! 
Have fun!!!