Creek Valley students put their 'stamp' on duck art contest

It's Duck Stamp season!

The Nebraska student entries for the Junior Duck Stamp art contest judging event was held on late last month for the 2015-2016 season, and several students from Chappell were winners and honorable mentions.

The Junior Duck Stamp Program exposes hundreds of thousands of youth each year to wetlands, National Wildlife Refuges and art concepts. The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is a dynamic, art and science program designed to teach wetlands habitat and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school and help reconnect today's youth with the outdoors. By combining this non-traditional pairing of subjects, it brings new interest to both the sciences and the arts. Once the stamp designs are judged at the state level, the first place winner is able to compete on a national level.

Students in grades K-6 at Creek Valley participated in the art competition that was led by art teacher Ron Nordyke. More than 500 entires were received from across the state and more than 27,000 entered nationally. In the kindergarten through third-grade group, Zachariah Koech received second-place. In the fourth- through sixth-grade group, Ashleigh Jay and Rhett Dykstra both placed third overall.

Also recognized as honorable mentions from Chappell included: Zach Smith, Rhonda Liddick, Tyler Christofferson, Morrigan McNabb, Dustinee Lohman and Jersie Misegadis.

"We had a panel of five judges, and the works are judged according to the four age groups," Lydia Patrick, Nebraska Junior Duck Stamp coordinator said.

Patrick said that the art is displayed and the judges complete five "chip" rounds by will placing chips on the top designs. After the five rounds, the number one works based on the judges are scored again in a point round.

"Each judge can assign three, four or five points to each piece. The top three scores become the first place and that process is done for second and third place until they are able to name the honorable mentions," Patrick said.

For each grade group, there were three first-place, second-place and third-place winners as well as 16 honorable mentions. The top 36 entries will go on to be exhibited throughout the state at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offices, Cabela's retail stores in LaVista, Kearney and Sidney and other locations throughout the year.

Hailee Schievelbein of Omaha won top honors with her colored pencil drawing of an Emperor goose. Her winning stamp design will be entered in the National Junior Duck Stamp Competition at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstorwn, W.Va.

The national winner will receive $1,000, a trip to the White House and have their artwork used for the 2015-2016 Junior Duck Stamp. The proceeds from the stamps, which cost $5, are used to support conservation education and provide awards as well as scholarships for the students, teachers and schools that participate in the program.