Image: Judging materials and student artwork from the 2026 Indiana Junior Duck Stamp competition, where entries are evaluated for accuracy, habitat, and composition. Photos courtesy of Sam Urquidez.
BY SAM URQUIDEZ
Reaching the summit of Mt. Everest, cage diving with great white sharks, and judging the Indiana Junior Duck Stamp Contest — at least this year, I will be crossing one thing off my bucket list. A longtime admirer and avid spectator of the Federal Duck Stamp Competition, I was thrilled at the opportunity to serve as a judge at the state level. While the artists in this contest are younger than those who typically compete federally, the artwork was no less impressive. In fact, I was blown away by the talent of artists as young as 9 years old.
Last year, across the nation, over 13,500 students entered a piece to be judged in the Junior Duck Stamp Contest. The Indiana Junior Duck Stamp Contest, now hosted at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, takes place annually. Students in grades K-12 are invited to submit their rendition of a North American waterfowl species by March 15 to the Goose Pond Visitor Center. These entries are judged in four age categories: grades K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12, with one “lucky duck” (pun intended) chosen as Best in Show and sent on to the National Contest for a chance to win $2,000. To enter the 2027 Indiana Junior Duck Stamp Contest, review the requirements on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.
Modeled after the Federal Duck Stamp Program, the Junior Duck Stamp Contest reflects a long-standing tradition of conservation through art. Since 1934, the Federal Duck Stamp Program has raised over $1.3 billion and conserved more than six million acres of waterfowl habitat across the United States. With approximately 250 entries in 2025 and thousands tuning in for the live judging, the contest draws spectators from all across the country. For nearly a century, the Duck Stamp Program has created lasting change across the North American landscape while inspiring a love of art and nature in people of all ages.
I am honored to have had the opportunity to judge this competition in 2026, and I look forward to seeing what Indiana’s aspiring young artists and conservationists create next year.
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