DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife announces 2019/20 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and 2019 Trout Stamp winners

DOVER – The results are in, and two artists – including a renowned name on both the national level and here in Delaware – have won top honors in the state’s Waterfowl and Trout Stamp art contests. A painting of a long-tailed duck and a black Labrador retriever by Richard Clifton of Milford, Delaware, a past Federal duck stamp competition winner, who also has captured best in show in numerous state duck stamp contests, will grace the 2019/20 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp. A painting of a brook trout by Broderick Crawford of Clayton, Georgia, will adorn the 2019 Delaware Trout Stamp.

Richard Clifton, Waterfowl Stamp Winner
Milford wildlife artist Richard Clifton with his best-of-show Waterfowl Stamp entry, which will be reproduced on the 2019/20 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp.

Clifton and Crawford were chosen by contest judges in the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife’s annual stamp art competition, with the judging April 12 at the Dover Public Library. The stamp contests drew 30 entries for the 2019/20 Waterfowl Stamp and 16 entries for the 2019 Trout Stamp. The 39th annual Waterfowl Stamp contest specified that submitted artwork must include a long-tailed duck and a black Labrador retriever. The trout stamp artwork can feature one or more species of brown, brook or rainbow trout in a setting or environment found in Delaware.

As the 2019/20 Waterfowl Stamp winner, Richard Clifton receives a $2,500 prize and 150 artist’s proofs of the limited edition print series of his first-place entry. Clifton, who resides on a historic family farm near Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, is an avid hunter and self-taught wildlife artist who works in acrylics with waterfowl as one of his favorite subjects. He has painted 51 winning duck stamps, including eight Delaware Waterfowl Stamps, the 1996 Australian Duck Stamp and the 2007-2008 Federal Duck Stamp, and is the current Ducks Unlimited International Artist of the Year.

As the 2019 Trout Stamp winner, Broderick Crawford receives $250 and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of the stamp. Broderick grew up in the southern Appalachians exploring streams and mountain sides all his life. He is an avid fly fisherman and supporter of Trout Unlimited. His favorite fish has always been the Brook Trout. A few years back he won the competition in Georgia with a Brook Trout for the Trout Unlimited vehicle tag in that state. Crawford is a wildlife and sporting art artist working in mostly acrylic paints who has entered and placed in Delaware’s stamp several times.

Other winners included:

2019/20 Waterfowl Stamp

  • Second place, Caleb Metrich, Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin
  • Third place, Dee Dee Murry, Centralia, Washington
  • Honorable mentions: George Bradford, Georgetown, Delaware; Paul R. Fenwick, Hillsborough, New Jersey; and Broderick Crawford, Clayton, Georgia

2019 Trout Stamp

  • Second place, George Bradford, Georgetown, Delaware, brown trout
  • Third place, Micah Hanson, St. Charles, Minnisota, brown trout
  • Honorable mentions: Ryan Peterson, Jackson, Wyoming, rainbow trout; Stephen Hamrick, Lakeville, Minnisota, rainbow trout; and Jeffrey Klinefelter, Etna Green, Indiana, rainbow trout.

The winning 2019/20 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available July 1, 2019, and the winning 2019 Delaware Trout Stamp will be available Jan. 1, 2019.

Waterfowl and Trout Stamp entries are on display Monday, April 16 through Friday, April 27 at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE 19977. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, please call 302-653-9345.

The winning stamp art also can be viewed online. The winning waterfowl stamp entries and the winning trout stamp entries are posted on the DNREC web site.

The 2019/20 Waterfowl Stamp judges were: Pete MacGaffin, Delaware Ducks Unlimited representative; Lloyd Alexander, art collector; F. Thomas Unruh, member of the Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish; Anthony Gonzon, wildlife biologist; and Justyn Foth, wildlife biologist.

The 2019 Trout Stamp judges were: Desmond Kahn, White Clay Fly Fishers member; Cathy Martin, avid angler; Edna Stetzar, fisheries biologist; Scott Newlin, fisheries biologist; and F. Thomas Unruh member of the Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, started the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp (formerly known as the Delaware Duck Stamp) and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $2.8 million has been raised.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife began requiring trout stamps in the 1950s, and a trout stamp and a general fishing license are required to fish in designated trout waters during certain seasons. Trout stamp art was first used in 1977. The fees paid for Trout Stamps are used to purchase rainbow and brown trout from commercial hatcheries, with the purchased trout stocked in two downstate ponds and selected streams in northern New Castle County for Delaware’s trout seasons.

Delaware hunting and fishing licenses, as well as Waterfowl Stamps and Trout Stamps, are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and by license agents statewide. For additional information on Delaware hunting and fishing licenses, call 302-739-9918.

For more information on Delaware’s waterfowl and trout stamp art competitions, please call DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife at 302-739-9911.


2016/17 Delaware Waterfowl, 2016 Trout Stamp art contest winners are announced

DOVER – The results are in, and two artists have won top honors in the state’s sporting stamp art contests. A painting of green-winged teal with a yellow Labrador retriever by Deanne “Dee Dee” Murry of Centralia, Wash., will grace the 2016/17 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp, and a painting of a brown trout by Nicholas Markell of Hugo, Minn., will become the face of the 2016 Delaware Trout Stamp.

The paintings won top honors in the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife’s annual stamp art competition, held April 23 at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover. This year’s competition drew 23 entries for the 2016/17 Waterfowl Stamp and 11 entries for the 2016 Trout Stamp. This year’s 36th anniversary Waterfowl Stamp contest specified that artwork chosen must include green-winged teal and a yellow Labrador retriever.

As the 2016/17 Waterfowl Stamp winner, DeeDee Murry receives a $2,500 prize and 150 artist’s proofs of the limited edition print series of her first place entry. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Murry favors horses, dogs and wildlife as the subjects of her art, and prefers to work in acrylic and graphite. A self-taught artist, she has achieved many regional and national awards, including the Washington State Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year, Best of Show at the Puyallup Art Show, winner of the Artist’s Magazine national competition wildlife division and placements in the top 20 at the Federal Duck Stamp competition. Her love for animals shows in her art, in which she strives to capture the personality and essence of the individual animal, as well as close attention to accurate anatomy and detail.

The 2016 Delaware Trout Stamp by artist Nicholas Markell of Hugo, Minn., depicting brown troutAs the 2016 Trout Stamp winner, Nicholas Markell receives $250 and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of the stamp (depicted adjacent). Markell holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts degree from Minnesota’s University of Saint Thomas and enjoys wildlife art because it challenges him to pay attention to the details of the natural world. His work has been displayed in numerous exhibitions, and he won the 2012 Minnesota Trout & Salmon Stamp, the 2013 Minnesota Walleye Stamp and the 2016 Minnesota Wild Turkey Stamp competitions.

Other winners included:

  • 2016/17 Waterfowl Stamp: Second place – Paul Makuchal of Pocomoke, Md.; Third place – Daniel Allard of Marengo, Ohio; Honorable mentions – Stephen Hamrick of Lakeville, Minn.; Frank Dolphens of Omaha, Neb.; and James Miller of Spring, Tex.
  • 2016 Trout Stamp: Second place and third place – Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind., for separate paintings of rainbow trout and brown trout; Honorable mentions – Broderick Crawford of Clayton, Ga., rainbow trout; Don Meinders, Otto, N.C., brook trout; and George Bradford of Georgetown, Del., brown trout.

The winning 2016/17 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available July 1, 2016, and the winning 2016 Delaware Trout Stamp will be available Jan. 1, 2016.

Waterfowl and Trout Stamp entries are on display through Friday, May 8 at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village, 866 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, just south of Delaware State University. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information about the museum, please call 302-734-1618.

The 2016/17 Waterfowl Stamp judges were: Jay Reynolds, Delaware Ducks Unlimited representative; Lloyd Alexander, art collector and retired wildlife professional; Paul Shertz, artist; Matt Dibona, wildlife biologist; and Joe Johnson, member, Delaware Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish.

The 2016 Trout Stamp judges were: Noel Kuhrt, Delaware Trout Association; artist Leon Spence; Fisheries biologists Mike Stangl and Des Kahn; and Steven Kendus, member, Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, started the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp (formerly known as the Delaware Duck Stamp) and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $2.5 million has been raised. Waterfowl Stamps go on sale July 1 of each year for $9 and are required, in addition to a general hunting license, when hunting migratory waterfowl in Delaware.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife began requiring trout stamps in the 1950s, and a trout stamp and a general fishing license are required to fish in designated trout waters during certain seasons. Trout stamp art was first used in 1977. The fees paid for Trout Stamps are used to purchase rainbow and brown trout from commercial hatcheries, with the purchased trout stocked in two downstate ponds and selected streams in northern New Castle County for Delaware’s trout seasons. Trout stamps go on sale Jan. 1 of each year. Residents 16 through 64 years of age are required to have a Delaware Trout Stamp, which costs $4.20. Residents ages 12 through 15 years old are required to have a Young Angler Trout Stamp, which costs $2.10. Non-residents 12 years of age and older are required to have a Non-Resident Trout Stamp, which costs $6.20.

Delaware hunting and fishing licenses, as well as Waterfowl Stamps and Trout Stamps, are sold online, at the licensing office in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or to purchase a license or stamps online, visit Delaware Licenses. For additional information on Delaware fishing licenses, call 302-739-9918.

For more information on Delaware’s sporting stamp art competitions, please call DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife at 302-739-9911.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 45, No. 130


2013 Delaware Junior Duck Stamp winners announced

Elizabeth Vander Laan, winner of the 2013 Junior Duck Stamp competitionDOVER (March 27, 2013) – On March 23, artistic entries from students in grades K through 12 throughout the state were judged in the 2013 Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Winners are on display at the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center near Milton now through Saturday, March 30. 

Elizabeth Vander Laan, a 12-year-old from Greenville, won best of show in her first year entering the competition. Her watercolor painting of a harlequin duck, titled “Cruising Downstream,” also won first place for grades 7 through 9. Elizabeth’s winning Duck Stamp entry will be judged along with other state winners on April 19 in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of the Interior and slated to be held this year at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W.Va. The best of show winner of the federal competition will become the 2013-2014 Junior Duck Stamp and will also receive a $5,000 scholarship.

“The Junior Duck Stamp program is unique because it teaches biology and habitat conservation through scientific observation and artistic interpretation to K through 12 students,” said Dawn Webb, coordinator of the Delaware Junior Duck Stamp program.

Sponsored by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife in partnership with Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, the Junior Duck Stamp competition provides an opportunity for students throughout Delaware to participate in a national art competition keyed to native waterfowl and wetland values. Students learn hands-on activities in waterfowl, wetland and habitat education and conservation while completing duck stamp art entries.

The judging panel included Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Biologist Matt DiBona; retired wildlife biologist Bill Whitman, who founded the Delaware Junior Duck Stamp Contest in 1994; well-known wildlife artist and Federal Duck Stamp Competition winner Richard Clifton of Milford; and Biologist Bill Jones, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Judges base their decisions on anatomical accuracy of the waterfowl depicted, how well the work illustrates the species and its habitat, and which artwork would translate best into a stamp.

Runners-up for Best of Show were:

Second runner-up: Alicia Hale, age 16, Bridgeville, “Sunset Melody”

Third runner-up: Sarah Ding, age 9, Newark, “The Swimming Snow Geese”

First place winners are:

Grades K-3: Samuel Winston, age 6, Milford, “Mallard”

Grades 4-6: Sarah Ding, age 9, Newark, “The Swimming Snow Goose”

Grades 7-9: Elizabeth Vander Laan, age 12, Greenville, “Swimming Downstream”

Grades 10-12: Alicia Hale, age 16, Bridgeville, “Sunset Melody”

Second place winners are:

Grades 4-6: Kayla Booros, age 12, Bridgeville

Grades 7-9: Rachael Winston, age 14, Milford

Grades 10-12: Josiah Winston, age 16, Milford 

Third place winners are:

Grades 4-6: Tony Monaco, age 12, Seaford

Grades 7-9: Hannah Doyle, age 14, Seaford

Honorable mentions are:

Grades 4-6: Dorothy McCormick, age 9, Millsboro; Mercy Winston, age 9, Milford; Mckenna Breeding, age 10, Felton; Grace Winston, age 11, Milford; Marley Fishburn, age 11

Grades 7-9: Daniel Winston, age 13, Milford

Conservation message winners are:

First Place: Hanna Doyle, age 14, Seaford – “It is important to conserve today to ensure that wildlife will have a home tomorrow.”

Second Place: Kayla Booros, age 12, Bridgeville – “Protect and preserve our wetlands so that wildlife can have a place to call home.”

Third Place: Josiah Winston, age 16, Milford – “Let us safeguard our wetlands and wildlife habitats, so as to safeguard our country’s beauty!”

Honorable Mentions:

  • Samuel Winston, age 6, Milford – “Keep the ducks home clean and safe!”
  • Elizabeth Yocher, age 9, Dover – “Wetlands provide clean water for many animals.”
  • Sarah Ding, age 9, Newark – “Protect our wetlands to insure strong ecosystems.”
  • Dorothy McCormick, age 9, Millsboro – “The paddle of webbed feet, recycling a can, will make a difference in God’s wildlife plan.”
  • Mercy Winston, age 9, Milford – “Keep our waters clean!”
  • Mckenna Breeding, age 10, Felton – “In order for wildlife to survive, and focus to have clean water, we have to take good care of our wetlands.”
  • Marley Fishburn, age 11, Seaford – “I live on the water and can’t imagine life without ducks, geese, and herons!”
  • Grace Winston, age 11, Milford – “Protect, preserve and keep habitats safe!”
  • Tony Monaco, age 12, Seaford – “Protecting our wildlife and their habitats will help to keep them alive for years to come.”
  • Elizabeth Vander Laan, age 12, Greenville – “Keep wetland water clean so ducks can swim.”
  • Daniel Winston, age 13, Milford – “Don’t let the duck sit in the muck!”
  • Rachel Winston, age 14, Milford – “Keep duck habitats clean, and they will be able to soar to new heights.”
  • Alicia Hale, age 16, Bridgeville – “Conservation: Fighting for a brighter future.” 

All 16 participants in the 19th annual contest received a certificate, ribbons and prizes from sponsors. Entries, which depict a species chosen from a list of North American waterfowl, were sponsored by teachers, schools, organizations and individuals.

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is located at 11978 Turkle Pond Road, Milton. The refuge’s visitor center is currently open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through March 31. Beginning April 1, the visitor center will stay open until 4 p.m. on weekends. Entrance fees apply. For more information about the refuge, please visit www.fws.gov/northeast/primehook.

The 2013 Junior Duck Stamp entries also will be displayed along with this year’s Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and Delaware Trout Stamp entries at the Delaware Agriculture Museum and Village in Dover for two weeks beginning Thursday, April 11.

For more information about displaying the artwork or about the Delaware Junior Duck Stamp Contest, please contact Dawn Webb, contest coordinator, 302-422-1329.

The Delaware Junior Duck Stamp Competition supports Delaware’s Children in Nature Initiative, a statewide effort to improve environmental literacy in Delaware, create opportunities for children to participate in enriching outdoor experiences, combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles. Delaware’s multi-agency initiative, which partners state and federal agencies with community organizations, is part of the national No Child Left Inside program.

CONTACT: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

 

Vol. 43, No. 112

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