On March 23, 144 student art entries for the 2018 Montana State Junior Duck Stamp Contest from all across Montana were judged at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Stevensville.

Plains entrant Mariah Mormah was the only Sanders County resident to receive an honorable mention from the competition.

The Junior Duck Stamp Program is a dynamic arts and science curriculum designed to teach youth about waterfowl and their habitat needs.

In addition to an original art entry, each student is encouraged to create a conservation message that explains what they have learned about wetlands, conservation, waterfowl and wildlife.

The artwork and conservation message are considered a visual “term paper” of what students have learned about waterfowl and wetlands.

Thirty-five native species of waterfowl were depicted across the 144 entries. A panel of five judges selected the entry of Jackson Hall of Eureka as the “Best of Show”.

Hall’s combination medium painting depicts an adult male Hooded Merganser in its natural habitat. This entry will be forwarded for further competition against the 49 other Best of Show entries from each state. One of the 50 Best of Show entries will be selected on April 20, as the National Junior Duck Stamp Program winner, officially printed as a stamp representing the Junior Duck Stamp Program.