Latest news with #DuckStamp
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AHS senior claims both first place and Best in Show in Junior Duck Stamp competition
Apr. 9—As a sophomore, Austin High School's Callie Hillman won third place in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp competition for Minnesota. A year later she came in second. There's only one way to take the trend from there and Hillman did it in a big way. This year, Hillman not only closed in first place in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Junior Duck Stamp competition for Minnesota, she was also awarded Best in Show making her eligible to compete in the National Junior Duck Stamp Competition. While she's not the first student from Austin Public Schools to win first place, she is the first to claim both prizes. "I was surprised. I really didn't think I could win," Hillman said. "It showed that all of my hard work paid off. It was my goal all year to at least get the chance to compete at the national level." Hillman's winning artwork is of a pair of mallards standing in a patch of grass titled "Morning on the Lakeside." She chose the mallards because of how common and recognizable they are to the state of Minnesota. At the same time Junior Duck Stamp has been an opportunity for Hillman to combine things she really enjoys: art and nature, while supporting what the Duck Stamp represents. "I like seeing the wildlife and I like how it promotes the preservation of wetlands," Hillman said. Hillman's art teacher, Jake Levisen, said that it's been fun watching Hillman build and advance her talents to the point that she is the first Austin student to win both awards in the annual contest. Levisen, who has finished second in the Duck Stamp competition, noted just how hard she works to advance her techniques including the time she puts in, which in this case was around six hours worth of work. "Cassie always asks what's next. She's always up for the challenge," Levisen said, later adding: "I just want to emphasize just how proud I am with the amount of work she puts into her artwork." While her art remains an enjoyable outlet for Hillman, who is looking at studying animal science in college, the image she captured is a simple vision of the beauty of Minnesota wildlife. "It's a duck everybody knows and is really common around Minnesota," she said. "It's basic, but still really pretty." The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program works to teach wetland and waterfowl conservation to students taking part, which ranges from kindergarten through high school. The national winner will serve as the design for the Junior Duck Stamp, which is produced annually by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sold for $5, revenue generated goes toward supporting the recognition and environmental education activities for students participating in the program.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Yahoo
Florida Man Who Shot a Tundra Swan in Front of Birdwatchers Gets Lifetime Hunting Ban
A Florida man who killed a protected tundra swan in front of a group of birdwatchers last winter has received a lifetime hunting ban, along with six months probation and $1,500 in fines, according to WCTV News. The man was convicted for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and for not possessing the 2023-24 federal Duck Stamp which, ironically, featured a tundra swan. The hefty sentence was handed down in Leon County court on Feb. 4 after the man entered a plea. The man's identity and the particulars of his plea have not been made public. But the details of what happened on Lake Jackson that day were brought into full view by the local birdwatchers who saw and photographed the man shooting the swan on the water, wringing its neck, and hauling it into his kayak before attempting to cover it up. It's unclear if the highly publicized nature of the poaching incident influenced the sentence that was handed down Tuesday. State attorney Jack Campbell, who prosecuted the case, told reporters last February that he would try and determine whether the swan was killed accidentally or on purpose, and that this would 'drive [their] prosecution.' According to the Florida Bar Association, a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is considered a misdemeanor unless it is done 'knowingly,' in which case it constitutes a felony. The investigation into the swan shooting began within minutes of when the bird was shot on Jan. 27. A group of birdwatchers had already gathered on the shore of Jackson Lake that morning after hearing that a pair of tundra swans had arrived the day before. Although tundra swans can be hunted in several U.S. states, including nearby North Carolina, it is illegal to hunt them in Florida, where they're less commonly seen. A spokesperson with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission told WCTV that there have only been two tundra swan sightings over the last 25 years in the Tallahassee area, where Lake Jackson is located. The birdwatchers, members of the Apalachee Audubon Society, had located the pair of tundra swans and reportedly witnessed every step of the poaching. They watched and photographed the man shooting one of the birds as it swam slowly across the lake, and then paddling out in his kayak to finish it and haul it aboard. The birdwatchers immediately reported the shooting to FWC while yelling at the man in question, and the whole incident was recorded in painful detail in a blog post published on the Audubon society's website. By the time FWC officers arrived at the lake, the man had reportedly hidden the dead tundra swan in a bag inside his kayak. He initially lied when asked if he had any luck, and then admitted to killing a bird that he claimed to have misidentified, according to a report shared with the Tallahassee Democrat in January 2024. 'The individual stated, 'Oh, no. I killed a snow goose,' and then showed the officers the bird, explaining that he'd hidden the swan in a bag after second-guessing whether it was a snow goose or not. '[He] stated that he had been duck hunting for 35 years and never misidentified a bird,' the report read. Read Next: Poachers Caught with 3X Legal Limit Said 'This Was More Ducks Than They'd Seen All Season' One of the birdwatchers who witnessed the incident told reporters after the sentencing that they were 'satisfied' with the court's decision to hand down a lifetime hunting ban. (Florida is a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which means the lifetime ban applies to all 50 states.) 'All of the birding community and the duck hunting community I've talked to, we just think there's no way you could not tell the difference between a Ttndra swan and a snow goose,' one of the other birdwatchers said in an interview with WCTV after charges were filed last January. 'The birds swam by another group of hunters … and then continued on toward the hunter that eventually shot them, and that should have been a big clue. The first group of four hunters did not shoot.'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This cute animal has raised over $1.2B through a nearly 100-year-old federal program — here's how it happened
The Federal Duck Stamp might be the most successful conservation tool you've never heard of. Since 1934, this small stamp has turned waterfowl hunters and nature lovers into environmental heroes, protecting millions of acres of wetlands across America, Scientific American reported, and raising nearly $1.2 billion. The stamp started when political cartoonist Jay "Ding" Darling saw that America's ducks needed help. Market hunting and habitat loss had severely reduced duck populations. Darling worked with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to create a program requiring hunters to buy a $1 stamp, with the money going directly to protect bird sanctuaries. Today, the Duck Stamp costs $25, and you don't need to be a hunter to buy one. About half of all stamps are purchased by collectors and nature enthusiasts who want to support conservation. An incredible 98 cents of every dollar goes straight to protecting wetlands. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The program runs an annual art contest to select each year's stamp design — Scientific American writer Daniel T. Ksepka calls it "The Super Bowl of Wildlife Art." This September, artist Adam Grimm won the 2024 contest with his painting of Spectacled Eiders, marking his third victory. The competition draws hundreds of artists, from veterans to high school students, who compete to have their art featured on the stamp. The stamp's impact goes far beyond waterfowl. Protected wetlands filter water, reduce flooding, and store carbon. They provide homes for countless species and create beautiful places for people to connect with nature. The program shows how small actions can add up to make a big difference — in this case, protecting more than 6 million acres of American wilderness. In other words, this little stamp can go a long way toward reducing your carbon footprint as we fight to cool our warming planet. Want to join this successful conservation movement? You can purchase a Duck Stamp at many post offices or online. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
