2019 National, Montana Jr. Duck Stamp Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, April 19, the National Junior Duck Stamp contest was held at Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge in Patuxent, Maryland. 

Entered in this contest was Montana State Junior Duck Stamp Best of Show, “Splash Down”, a beautiful depiction of a Harlequin Duck created by 19-year-old Plains artist, Malachi Paulsen.  Paulsen’s artwork is composed with colored pencils and posca pen.  The National Best of Show is also a Harlequin painted by 16-year-old Nicole Jeon of Scarsdale, New York.

The Junior Duck Stamp Program is a dynamic arts and science curriculum designed to teach youth about waterfowl and their habitat needs.  In addition to an original art entry, each student is encouraged to create a conservation message that explains what they have learned about wetlands, conservation, waterfowl and wildlife.  The artwork and conservation message are considered a visual “term paper” of what students have learned about waterfowl and wetlands.  This year’s Montana conservation message winner is Olivia Bauscher, age 9, of Alberton, with, “Our life and our future grow in the wetlands beauty”.

Paulsen’s artwork was judged best of show on Thursday, March 21, 2019, at the Montana State Junior Duck Stamp Contest at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Stevensville. Ninety-two entries from student artists age kindergarten through Grade 12 from around the state were judged by five local judges.  

Locally, Eirik Reed and Hannah Braaten, of Sheridan; and Hazalin Maddison of Alder earned honors.

Thirty Five native species of waterfowl were depicted across the 92 entries. The Montana First Place finishers are: Grades K-3 – Adyn Spafford  (Stevensville), Olivia Bauscher (Alberton), Karson Ekkelboom (Victor); Grades 4-6 – Gariella Ekkelboom  (Victor), Lina Sturman (Saint Ignatius), Avrye Smith (Eureka); Grades 7-9 – Joelle Evans and Miranda Moe, both of Miles City, Christy Wilson (Eureka); Grades 10-12 – Jade Greenberg (Whitefish), Malachi Paulsen, (Plains), Caleb Pernsteiner (Hamilton).

Second Place finishers are: Grades K-3 – Eirik Reedy (Sheridan), Hazalin Maddison  (Alder), Cayleigh Bentley (Florence); Grades 4-6 -  Daisey Lay, Cameron Loeffler, and  Oliver Renaud, all of Stevensville; Grades 7-9 – Aurora Leischer, Stella Kapson, and Cadence Blankenship, all of Miles City; Grades 10-12- Jackson Hall (Eureka), and Meriah Morman (Plains) .  

Third Place finishers are: Grades K-3 – Adelaide Cruz (Stevensville), Katherine Servideo and McKenzie Bentley, both of Florence; Grades 4-6 – Riley Rising, Jada Spafford, and Tracie Kirk, all of Stevensville; Grades 7—9 – Addie Sloan, Brady Hoverson, and Trinity Gray, all of Miles City.  

Honorable Mentions included: K-3 – Slevin Harberts, Bryton Brewer, Eva Lampi, Leyna Vigue, McKayla Williams, James Cochran, Abbigail Peterson, Katey Short, Sophie Renaud, Trinity Amt, Janelle Giralt, Natha Giralt, Caleb Walker, Jasmine Agin, all of Stevensville, Corban Servideo (Florence), Hannah Braaten (Sheridan) and Hadley Greenwalt (Missoula); Grades 4-6 – Shyanne Watt (Pinesdale), Ramond Ives (Hamilton), Jeffrey Jessop (Corvallis),Cash Lawrence and Benjamin White of Victor,

Lily Agin, Kealie Hixson, Riley Moore, Marissa Horrocks, Adan Hampton, Lillian Bedsaul, Avery Sacry, Casey Timmons, Trenton Scharff, and Issabella Reynolds, all of Stevensville; Grades 7-9 – Saige Kelly (Kingsey), Paige Twitchell, Ryan Paxson, Heidi Phalen, and Bailey Hardy, all of Miles City.

An awards ceremony is scheduled for May 11, 2019, at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge amphitheater in Stevensville for all first, second, third, and honorable mention finishers and their families.  The Refuge staff and volunteers would like to congratulate all 92 artists on their entries and thank all of the parents, teachers, mentors, and administrators for their support of their students.