We have a winner for the 2024 North Dakota Junior Duck Stamp! On Thursday, March 28, Valley City High School senior Ayden McPartland’s artistic creation was voted the Best in Show. She also won last year. Winning the Best in Show allows her to be entered into the National Junior Duck Stamp contest.
The judging was done at Lake Region State College. Students from all over North Dakota in grades K-12 had their submissions displayed on tables. Judges put a chip on the ones they think should advance. From there, the submissions got narrowed down.
“I like that there’s so much diversity,” said White Horse Hill Visitor Services Manager Collen Graue. “There’s over 60 species of waterfowl that the students can choose. And I like the fact that probably 95 percent of the entries I can identify the species.”
“I also love seeing the same students that participate year after year after year and watching their artwork improve.
The judges consisted of LRSC President Doug Darling, wildlife artist Jeff Hoff from Jamestown, artist Svetlana Leer from Devils Lake, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Mark Fisher, and from the Nature Conservancy in Fargo Mark Staples. Staples had his artwork voted Best in Show in 2012.
