Area Youths Honored In SD Duck Stamp Contest

The Marshall County region was well represented when winners were recently announced for the South Dakota Junior Duck Stamp Contest.

The Junior Duck Stamp program is a wildlife art contest put on by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for students in grades K-12 that allows students to show what they have learned about waterfowl and wetland conservation by drawing or painting a native North American duck, goose, or swan. The contest began in 1989 as an extension of the Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp, commonly known as the Federal Duck Stamp.

Each year, students from all over the nation are encouraged to use scientific principles and wildlife observations to communicate visually with different native waterfowl species through art. Out of thousands of entries, one best-ofshow winner is chosen from each state to compete at the national contest. From there, a national best-of-show artwork winner is chosen to provide the design for the Junior Duck Stamp, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sells for $5 each year, with all profits going back towards conservation education.

This year, over 240 students in grades K-12 participated in the conservation program from across South Dakota. Prizes will be awarded to the first through third-place winners at the state level.

Livia and Mataya Knecht of Houghton were first place winners in the grade 7-9 division. Hezekiah and Isaac O’Brien of Britton both received third place honors in the grade 4-6 division. Emily Jensen of Britton was a Judge’s Choice winner in the grade 10-12 bracket.

Receiving honorable mention recognition in the grade 4-6 category were Lillian Boyko, Brooklyn Hunt, Avery Leonard, Fatima Rodriguez, and Adalynn Schmieg, all of Britton.

Honorable mention in the grades 7-9 division included Savannah Angstman, Paityn Erickson, Amelia Ingvalson, Chellon Robinson, and Olivia Veflin, all of Britton, Ruthie Moeckly of Amherst, and Alexys Olson of Lake City.

Receiving honorable mention honors in grades 10-12 were Kiera Bennett, Connor Furman, Emily Jensen, and Braun Kadoun, all of Britton, and April Bodin of Veblen.

Madison Grimm of Wallace, submitted an acrylic painting titled “Evening’s Enchantment,” which judges selected as the 2024 Best of Show winner in the state contest. Grimm, an accomplished 17-year-old artist, presents her 2024 entry—a captivating depiction of a Northern Pintail gracefully perched above cattails in a serene wetland. This is Grimm’s fourth year in the state competition, and she is recognized as a three-time winner for both the South Dakota Junior Duck Stamp Best of Show and the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest. She previously entered the contest with a variety of winning artwork featuring a Canvasback, Wood Duck, and Green-winged Teal in 2013 (aged 6), 2020 (aged 13), and 2022 (aged 15).