The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sponsors the annual Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition, which is a dynamic arts curriculum that teaches wetlands and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. The program incorporates scientific and wildlife management principles into a visual arts curriculum with participants completing a JDS design as their visual “term paper.”

Louisiana had a total of 221 entries, and Franklinton High School had six students place in the top of their age group. Taylor LeBlanc placed first, Desiree’ Hutchinson was second and Christin Mizell, honorable mention, in Group 3 (seventh through ninth grades), and Landon Magee was first, Joshua Owens, second, and Katelyn Capo, honorable mention, in Group 4 (10th through 12th grades). These students were taught by Taffenie Mizell.

This year’s judging took place March 27 at the headquarters/Visitor Center for the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge in Tallulah. Judges consisted of artists, graphic designers, federal biologists and retired waterfowl biologists.