BRIGHAM CITY, Utah — A drive to bring more Utah students into wildlife art began with a series of school visits. By the time the state’s 2026 Junior Duck Stamp contest closed, 524 students in kindergarten through 12th grade had submitted artwork—up from 78 the year before.
Gabrielle Johnson, a visitor services specialist intern at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, was among the interns who carried the invitation from Brigham City to classrooms and community partners around the state. The students explored waterfowl and wetlands, then turned what they learned into original art.
A classroom invitation that traveled statewide
Johnson and fellow refuge interns began contacting educators in September 2025, sharing contest resources and arranging school visits. They brought art supplies so students could take part, and teachers’ interest opened doors to new classrooms and partner organizations.
The outreach widened between September and March, when the interns joined events at nature centers and other community sites. Partnerships with Utah State University and Southern Utah University also gave contest winners’ artwork places to be seen, connecting more visitors with the young artists behind it.
For Johnson, the work reached beyond the contest. In June, she discussed the Junior Duck Stamp Program on Utah Public Radio’s “Wild About Utah,” extending the invitation to students and educators listening across the state.
Art opens a path into conservation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Junior Duck Stamp program pairs art with learning about waterfowl, wetlands, biology and wildlife management. Students explore the natural world, then share their understanding through an annual design contest.
At Bear River, the rise from 78 entries to 524 gives the interns a clear measure of how far their classroom visits and new partnerships traveled. It also gives hundreds of young artists a place in a growing community of people who notice, learn about and care for wildlife.
Read more about the Bear River refuge interns and Utah’s 2026 contest, or explore the Junior Duck Stamp art-and-science curriculum.
Leave a Reply