SC Junior Duck Stamp

Exhibit Hours

Friday, 9 am – 6 pm Saturday 9 am – 5 pm Sunday, 2–5 pm Charleston County Library 68 Calhoun Street

The King Has Arrived, Julia Boyer Age 14, Charleston School of the Arts, North Charleston, SC

South Carolina Junior Duck Stamp

CHARLESTON CO. LIBRARY

Each year kids from around the country have a chance to show off their artistic talents and learn about conservation with the Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest, a federal contest with a big prize: a commemorated special edition U.S. stamp.

The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition has continued its partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for the 2019-2022 South Carolina Junior Duck Stamp Contest, sponsored by Ducks Unlimited.

The SCDNR had managed the SC Junior Duck Stamp program through 2011, but because of budget cuts the program became at risk of being discontinued and other sources of funding had to be found. To ensure the program’s continuation, SEWE partnered with SCDNR in 2012 to assume the administration and Ducks Unlimited, the world leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation, came on as the sponsor helping to keep the program available to more than 700,000 students in South Carolina.

The Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest is a dynamic educational program using both conservation and design principles to teach wetland habitat and waterfowl biology to children, K-12. The program provides an opportunity for students to artistically express their knowledge of the diversity, interdependence, and beauty of wildlife.

In 2019, nearly 200 public, private and home-schooled South Carolina students participated. Competing in four grade groups (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12), they created visually compelling and biologically accurate drawings or paintings of eligible North American waterfowl species. Students were encouraged to include a conservation message with their artwork explaining what they learned from the program and to inspire others to participate in conservation.

In addition to twelve prize winners, an overall “Best of Show” was selected to represent South Carolina in the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest, where it competed with the winning entrants from all 50 states, the American Samoa and the Virgin Islands to become the 2019-2022 collective Federal Junior Duck Stamp. Sold by the U.S. Postal Service and other vendors, all proceeds from the Stamp sales help support environmental and conservation education efforts.

SEWE could not have successfully transitioned nor continued the program under its administration without the help and support of South Carolina Ducks Unlimited.