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SAN DIEGO - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that a pair of nene (Hawaiian goose) will be featured on the 2008-2009 Federal Junior Duck Stamp. The design for the new stamp, painted by 18-year-old Seokkyun Hong of Dallas, Texas, was chosen by a panel of judges Thursday at the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest held at the San Diego Zoo.
The oil painting, which previously won the Texas State Junior Duck Stamp Contest, was judged the top entry among the Best-of-State entries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and American Samoa. The 2008-2009 Federal Junior Duck Stamp, which the Fish and Wildlife Service will make available for $5 to stamp collectors, conservationists, and the general public, will be released in June 2008. Proceeds from Junior Duck Stamp sales are used to support environmental education efforts and awards for contest winners. The nene is an endangered species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is one of the birds that the San Diego ZooÕs Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program breeds and releases in cooperation with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Hawaiian government. The forests of the Hawaiian Islands are listed at the top of the Top 20 Most Threatened Bird Habitats in the United States. Another bird species, the ruddy duck, was featured by Lydia Han, age 15, of San Jose, California, who took second place with a watercolor called "Contented Pair." Third place went to Rebekah Nastav, age 17, of Amoret, Missouri, for her rendition of a hooded merganser called ÒEvening SwimÓ done in acrylic. Rebekah had previously won the Federal Junior Duck Stamp competition in 2006. The Junior Duck Stamp Contest winner receives a free trip to Washington, D.C., along with their art teacher, a parent, and the state coordinator, to be honored during a First Day of Sale Ceremony held in June. The first-place winner receives a $5,000 award. The second place winner receives $3,000 and the third-place winner receives $2,000. |