Calling all creative young artists and art educators in Connecticut. Entries are now being accepted for the 2022 Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition, part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) environmental education program administered since 1987 by the Connecticut Waterfowl Association (CWA).
As part of a concerted effort to encourage more young people to explore the natural world and increase conservation awareness, the Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp “Best in Show” winner will be featured as the 2023 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp! The "Best in Show" winner will also be an entry for the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest.
This contest 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) -- List of Eligible Species. There is no cost, and submissions are due by March 15, 2022.
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 the contest’s creative fun and learning. Three first, second- and third-place entries will be selected from each group, and prizes will be awarded. A “Best of Show” is selected by the judges from the 12 first-place winners. The “Best of Show” is then entered into the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest, which is sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The first place design from the nationwide contest is used to create a national Junior Duck Stamp for the following year. Junior Duck Stamps are sold by the U.S. Postal Service for $5 each. Proceeds support conservation education and provide awards and scholarships for the students, teachers, and schools that participate in the program.
Guidelines, entry forms and additional information about the Connecticut Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition can be obtained on the CWA website or by selecting the following links:
- Junior Duck Stamp Brochure
- 2021-2022 Junior Duck Stamp Entry Form (must be included with art submission)
- 2021-2022 Junior Duck Stamp Reference Form (students in groups III and IV must submit this form so that the students' ideas/reference can be verified that their work is not a complete reproduction of another piece)
Entries for this year’s contest must be postmarked by March 15, 2022, and mailed to:
Christopher Samorajczyk
29 Bowers Hill Road
Oxford, CT 06478
Questions can be directed to Chris at 203-888-0352 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program is a unique, 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 explore their natural world with a new perspective by inviting them to investigate biology and wildlife management, and challenging them to express and share what they have learned with others. More information about the USFWS Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program, including helpful youth and educator guides, is available on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.
The Connecticut Waterfowlers Association, a non-profit volunteer group created in 1967 dedicated to wetlands and waterfowl conservation, has administered this Program since its beginning in 1987. Its mission is to conserve wetlands and waterfowl in Connecticut, and only in Connecticut.
