We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 North Carolina Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest. The contest was held on March 28, 2025 at the Coastal North Carolina National Wildlife Refuges Gateway Visitor Center. Five judges considered 115 entries from K-12 students across the state. Thank you to all students, teachers, and parents who participated!

Ashley Zhang, 15, of Charlotte, NC won Best of Show in the North Carolina Federal Junior Duck Stamp 2025 Art Competition with an acrylic depiction of a pair of Hooded Mergansers entitled The Bliss of Togetherness. 

The Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest integrates art and science in order to teach environmental science and habitat conservation through art. The First-Place national winning design is used to create a Federal Junior Duck Stamp each year. Proceeds from the sale of Junior Duck Stamps (which cost $5 and are available at your local post office) support conservation education by providing awards and scholarships for the students, teachers, and schools that participate in the program. For further information visit the Junior Duck Stamp Program web page, or for more information on purchasing stamps visit the Federal Duck Stamp web page.

The contest is open to all students K-12 and is first judged within the student’s state of residence. The Best of Show Winner of each State competes to become the National Winner.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For further information about the Junior Duck Stamp Contest, please contact Sarah Toner.

2025 North Carolina Junior Duck Stamp Results (Alphabetical Order)

Best of Show

Ashley Zhang, Charlotte

Best of Show Conservation Message

“Conservation is the telescope through which we may observe a healthy future of our planet.” Ashley Zhang, Charlotte

GROUP I (Grades K-3)

First Place 

Abby Einhorn, ArtAware, LLC, Raleigh

Kasi Lin, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

GROUP II (Grades 3-6)

First Place

Jessica Cao, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Lucas Li, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Luna Wang, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Second Place 

Angela Jiang, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Kayla Lin, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Ella Lu, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Third Place 

Cameron Lang, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Katherine Li, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

William Zhang, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Top Honorable Mention

Alice Zheng, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Honorable Mention 

Abraham Baybutt, Calvin Christian Academy, Winterville

Taylor Corcoran, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

June Crosby, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Harper Dunn, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Emma Harris, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Walles Houston, R. L. Wallace Christian Academy, Shawboro

Noah Jones, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Chase Kosinski, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Hannah McClellan, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Sadie Meyer, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Airlie Sawyer, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Parker Stevens, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Jet Turner, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Alexandra Ware, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Olivia Withers, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

GROUP III (Grades 7-9)

First Place

Abby Li, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Emma Lu, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Kexin Sun, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Second Place

Leola Forde, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Serah Mobin, Davidson

Harry Roy, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Third Place

Leighton Bailey, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Josephine North, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Caroline Shepard, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Top Honorable Mention

Makayla Parmentier, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Honorable Mention

Esther Baybutt, Calvin Christian Academy, Winterville

Constance Baybutt, Calvin Christian Academy, Winterville

Dylan Congimi, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Hayden Davis, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Samantha Finch, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

William Houston, R.L. Wallace Christian Academy, Shawboro

Eva Hughes, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Colton Kauffman, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

John Kohler, Jr., Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Dahlia Kuchta, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Dylan Lamb, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Josie Nelson, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Maddie Siemon, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Sadie Tranter, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

Christopher Williams, Surf City Middle School, Hampstead

GROUP IV (Grades 10-12)

First Place

Jason Tao, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham

Alexis Young, Allan Fine Art Academy, Charlotte

Ashley Zhang, Charlotte

Second Place

Cambria Houston, R.L. Wallace Christian Academy, Shawboro

Faith Houston, R.L. Wallace Christi­­an Academy, Shawboro

Joie Li, Yan’s Art Studio, Durham