Athol teen places third in state duck stamp contest
<p>Libbie Wright, a 15-year-old home school student from Athol, placed third with this female mallard in the Idaho Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest.</p>
ATHOL - Libbie Wright's art of a female mallard flew with the judges.
The 15-year-old home school student from Athol placed third in Best of Show in the 2013 Idaho Junior Duck Stamp Contest recently. It was her highest finish in the contest.
"I've been doing art for as long as I can remember, so I was very excited that I placed," she said of her watercolor painting. "I take photos myself to use for inspiration."
More than 750 students in kindergarten through 12th grade participated in the contest.
Twin Falls' Nicholas Maybon, 15, won the contest with his green-winged teal. His artwork will be entered into the national contest on April 19.
The winning artwork in the national contest will adorn the 2013 Federal Junior Duck Stamp.
Junior duck stamps are sold for $5 each and are available at http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/. Proceeds of stamp sales fund scholarships for the national contest winners, state programs, marketing and environmental education materials.
Judges from the Canyon County Commission, Ducks Unlimited, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Southwestern Idaho Birders Association and Treasure Valley Community College made their selections for the Idaho contest at the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge in Nampa on March 22.
Information on next year's contest, a new duck stamp youth guide and other educational material is available at http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/curriculum.html.