The 2011 – 2012 Junior Duck Stamp; Artist: Abraham Hunter (17)
GEORGIA JUNIOR DUCK STAMP ART ON EXHIBIT AT CALLAWAY GARDENS®
PINE MOUNTAIN, GA (9/19/2012) – Callaway Gardens® is proud to host the 2012 Georgia Junior Duck Stamp Exhibit. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Junior Duck Stamp program, which is made available through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to promote conservation through the arts.
Each year Georgia youth participate in the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Contest. Students in grades K-12 select a North American duck, goose or swan; research the species and its habitat; then depict the bird in an artistic medium.
Following the competition, the artwork goes on an exhibition tour around Georgia. The exhibit will be on display in the Daisy Classroom of Callaway’s Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center through October 31, 2012, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT.
Winners on the state level receive prizes and certificates. The Best of Show winner competes nationally for thousands of dollars in scholarships. Georgia was represented in the national competition by Colin Williams, a 17-year-old artist from Savannah, GA, who also in 2011 finished in the top 10 nationally by receiving an honorable mention. Christina Morrissey, 14, from The Savannah Country Day School was the Georgia 2012 Conservation Message Winner. The works from both of these artists along with all of the Georgia winners can be seen and enjoyed at Callaway Gardens through October 31, 2012.
Federal Junior Duck Stamps may be purchased for $5 plus shipping and handling by calling 1-800-STAMP-2-4. For more detailed information on this program, visit http://duckstamps.fws.gov.
The USFWS sponsors this program annually to promote conservation through arts. It is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Callaway Gardens exists to fulfill a similar mission of preserving the natural environment and helping others learn good stewardship of the earth.
According to the USFWS website, for every dollar spent on Federal Duck Stamps, 98 cents goes directly to purchase vital habitat for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since 1934, sales of Federal Duck Stamps to hunters, stamp collectors and other conservationists have raised more than $700 million that has been used to acquire more than 5.3 million acres of habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Admission to Callaway Gardens is $18/adult; $9/child (ages 6 to 12); children ages 5 and under are admitted for free. Special event rates may apply. Tax is included.
Callaway Gardens®, is in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus. For additional information, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or visit www.callawaygardens.com.
