Long earns third in Iowa Junior Duck Stamp

Area students earned awards at the 2015 Iowa Junior Duck Stamp award ceremony held April 26 at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.

All 100 Iowa winners and their families were invited to attend.

Emmet Long of Afton was a third place winner. Creston area honorable mention winners were: Savannah Kistler of Thayer, Riley Long of Afton and Bailee Prom of Prescott.

Junior Duck Stamp designs are judged in the K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 grade groups, for which three first place, three second place and three third place winners and 16 honorable mention winners are chosen.

The Best of Show is then chosen from the 12 first place winners from all age groups. The top 36 entries will be exhibited throughout Iowa from June 2015 through February 2016.

Judges for this year’s competition, held on March 24, were Randy Hansen, woodcarver and retired teacher; Doug Helmers, Iowa Private Lands Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Rich Paris, officer for Marion County Conservation; Brad Reece, Maynard Reece Gallery; and Nancy Wright, artist and retired art teacher.

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest is an annual event. All Iowa entries must be postmarked by March 15 each year.

The contest is open to all students in grades K-12. Go to www.fws.gov/juniorduck for all information needed to enter.

Contest information for the 2016 contest will be available in the fall 2015.

All winning entries may be viewed on the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge Facebook page.