Artists Sought To Portray Mallard in Waterfowl Art Competition

Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation requests original artwork entries for the 2016 Colorado Waterfowl Stamp Art Contest. This year’s species of focus is the Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos. The deadline for artist submissions is 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20.

“It is amazing every year to see what the artists come up with,” said Tilman Bishop, a volunteer member of the Waterfowl Stamp Art Committee, which judges the entries. “The new artists who are starting out in this specialized category of art always catch my attention.”

The Colorado Waterfowl Stamp program was implemented in 1990 and provides funding to conserve wetlands for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife.

Waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older are required by state law to purchase a waterfowl stamp annually before hunting. In addition to hunters, many collectors aid in wetland conservation by purchasing collector stamps and prints that are created from the winning entry.

“We are all beneficiaries of the Waterfowl Stamp,” Bishop added. “Whether you are a hunter, a bird watcher or just a citizen that likes seeing wildlife, every one of us gets the benefit of this terrific program.”

The mallard is a dabbling duck, or surface feeder, commonly found throughout Colorado in suitable riparian and wetland habitats year round. Widespread and abundant, the green head, yellow bill and orange feet distinguish the male mallard from the brownish feathers of the female that provide her camouflauge in marshes, potholes, and reed-covered waterways.

Artists must submit a 13-inch high by-18 inch wide, full color original artwork for the contest. There is a $50 fee for each entry. Complete requirements are explained in the application packet, which is available at http://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/WaterfowlStamp.aspx and http://www.cowildlifefoundation.org/#!programs/c10d6.

Hunters can purchase the required waterfowl stamp where hunting licenses are sold.  Past stamp winners can be viewed on-line at http://www.cowildlifefoundation.org/#!shop/c1yzj.

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CPW is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 42 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, big-game management, hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and nonmotorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW’s work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.

The Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation (CWHF), a 501 (c) 3 organization, was founded in 1989 to ensure a wildlife legacy for Colorado today and tomorrow by securing and managing funds for wildlife projects.  They work closely with Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife and other state & federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and the public providing funding and resource support services for wildlife and habitat conservation projects statewide.  Their areas of focus include: wildlife conservation and research, habitat restoration and preservation, environmental education and the integration of sustainable human and wildlife land use practices.

For more news about Colorado Parks and Wildlife go to: http://cpw.state.co.us

For more information about Colorado Parks and Wildlife go to: http://cpw.state.co.us.