Luke Hartung, 17, of Park Rapids Area High School, placed as Best of Show Runner-Up in this year’s Minnesota Junior Duck Stamp Contest.
According to a press release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hartung placed second only to Ciara Grad, 17, of Minnetonka High School, who painted a mother-daughter pair of common mergansers.
Hartung, meanwhile, used oil paints to depict a drake redhead duck boasting a metal band.
Last year, Hartung won first place and Best of Show in the state’s duck stamp contest with a painting of two Canada geese.
The federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is an art and science program designed to teach wetland habitat and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school and help reconnect youth with the outdoors, the release states.
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In addition to the top two duck stamp paintings, the winner of the Minnesota Conservation Message contest was Aleigha Lyons, 10, of Fergus Falls with her statement, “Our environment, our responsibility, their home.” Student honor winner was Erica Joseph, 9, of Fergus Falls, whose artwork of a flying drake will be used to promote the program in Minnesota for 2023-24.
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