2025 Idaho Junior Duck Stamp Winners!

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Waddle we have here? We are happy to announce the winners of the 2025 Idaho Junior Duck Stamp Art and Conservation Contest. The contest was held March 21, 2025, and the competition was steep. A panel of 5 judges considered 630 entries from K-12 students across the state. Thank you to all who participated; our judges greatly enjoyed every entry!

Best of Show and Conservation Message Winners 

Now to announce our winners! After much deliberation of getting our ducks in a row, the Best of Show was awarded to Zoë Apelian, 16, of Nampa, ID for her beautiful acrylic painting of a hooded merganser titled Merg in Flight. The Second Best of Show went to Aeron Chapman, 17, from Boise, ID for a stunning artwork of a pair of fulvous whistling ducks aptly titled A Pair of Whistlers. The Third Best of Show was awarded to Sri Avanthika, 9, of Boise, ID for a watercolor painting of a ruddy duck titled Reflections. Congratulations to all our participants and we hope to see your art again next year!

Fiona Lunger, 14, of Meridian, ID won Best Conservation Message with her poetic entry: “Conservation preserves what we care for, cares for what we value, and values what we love.”

Hooded Merganser taking off from the water with its feet splashing the water’s surface. A reflection of the Merganser appears below against the deep green of the water.
First Best of Show winner Zoë Apelian’s acrylic painting of a Hooded Merganser titled “Merg in Flight”  | Image Details

Support and Participate Next Year

The Junior Duck Stamp Art and Conservation Message Contest is a national art contest run by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The winning art is made into a pictorial stamp that can be purchased for $5. The money is used to fund conservation education nationwide. The goals of the contest are to encourage students to engage with wetland conservation and grow their artistic skills. Junior Duck Stamps can be purchased online from the U.S. Postal Service or Amplex.

Want to enter next year? Check out the instructions and rules and then get creating! Entries are due by March 1st of every year and can be sent to 13571 Upper Embankment Road, Nampa, ID 83686 ATTN: Susan Kain. 

Two orange Fluvous Whistling Ducks with blue beaks posed against a background of fluffy clouds facing opposite directions.
Second Best of Show winner Aeron Chapman’s acrylic painting of a pair of  Fulvous Whistling Ducks titled “A Pair of Whistlers.” | Image Details

First Place Winners by Age Group

Entries are divided into four age groups by grade: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12. Three first place winners are chosen from each age group. Check out our first-place winners below: 

Group 1
  • Deyanshi Agarwal, 8, Boise, ID
  • Elieen Song, 9, Boise, ID
  • Conrad Larson, 8, Rigby, ID
Group 2
  • Jasmine Tang, 9, Boise, ID
  • Derek Pan, 10, Boise, ID
  • Sri Avanthika Yarlagadda, 9, Boise, ID
Group 3
  • Hazel Willis, 15, Coeur d’Alene, ID
  • Adelie Rathore, 13, Boise, ID
  • Marisa Morehouse, 15, Nampa, ID
Group 4
  • Amberlin Brown, 17, Filer, ID
  • Zoë Apelian, 16, Nampa, ID
  • Aeron Chapman, 17, Boise, ID

Story Tags

Art

Recreational Activities

Painting and drawing

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Edited By

Melisa Rodriguez
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Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge

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