Evans girl wins award for her duck art

A 10-year-old Evans girl recently won a state-level award in a national waterfowl conservation student art contest.

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Samantha Joy Stewart, a homeschooled fourth-grader, won for best conservation message.

Her art was a staff favorite in the fourth-grade through sixth-grade category in the 2007 Art in Action Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest.

The contest, part of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program, uses art to teach kindergarten through high school pupils about wetland areas and national waterfowl conservation efforts, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site.

Samantha drew a Green-winged Teal duck on a pond at sunset surrounded by reeds and other plants. This variety of Teal spends summers in the upper Midwest and Canada and migrates to the Southwestern and Southeastern U.S. in winter.

Samantha's winning conservation message: "Conservation means cherishing today's sunset, and planning tomorrow's sunrise."

Samantha, who is fond of animals, studied the Teal and decided to tie the sunset theme from the picture into the message.

"I was really happy because I didn't think I had a chance (of winning)," she said.

Each year, a commemorative stamp is issued bearing the image of the national champion. Proceeds from stamp sales benefit conservation efforts.

About 27,000 children of all ages participate annually nationwide, according to the Web site.