Sixteen-Year-Old Wins Best of Show in 2016 California Junior Duckstamp Contest, Then Takes National Award Competing With 27,000 Young Artists

By Pam Bierce, USFWS

“It was April Fool’s Day, so naturally my reaction was disbelief at first,” says 16-year-old Stacy Shen, describing her initial reaction to winning Best of Show in the California Junior Duck Stamp Art and Conservation Contest.

Shen’s color pencil drawing of a pair of Ross’s geese was one of over 5,000 entries in the 2016 contest held earlier this spring at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.

“It’s great knowing that I get to pursue my passion while raising awareness and funds for waterfowl and habitat conservation,” says Stacy Shen, 2016 national Junior Duck Stamp winning artist.

However, winning in California was only the beginning for the Fremont, California, native. Shen’s artwork also was selected by a panel of judges to appear on the 2016-17 Federal Junior Duck Stamp, placing first among over 27,000 national entries.

“It was such a shock; I didn’t expect it at all and never thought about being able to win it nationally,” Shen says. “Through my five years of participating in this contest, it had always been something that has been far away, something that someone else would get.”

Shen, along with the National Duck Stamp winner, Joe Hautman, were recently honored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Postal Service and Bass Pro Shops at the first day of sale ceremony held earlier this month in Springfield, Missouri. All funds from Duck Stamp sales go to environmental education programs, and increase the opportunities for wildlife education and habitat conservation across the U.S.

Shen’s favorite part of the contest, other than drawing beautiful birds, is the conservation aspect. “It’s great knowing that I get to pursue my passion while raising awareness and funds for waterfowl and habitat conservation,” she says.

She specifically chose to draw two Ross’s geese because of their simple snowy plumage that she feels allows for both elegance and a dramatic contrast. “White can be graceful and playful, and I was able to utilize the background to show that. Overall, Ross’s geese give the piece a serene, vibrant effect,” Shen says.

2016 seems to be the year that talented youth conservation artists from California are coming away with top honors in contests hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners.

Miles Yun, a tenth grader from La Canada, California, won the grand prize winner for the 2016 Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest. Yun’s artwork, a painting of a grizzly bear surrounded by a variety of endangered and threatened plants and animals from all over the U.S., will be featured in the 2017 Endangered Species Day calendar.

Yun was honored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Endangered Species Coalition at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. in May.

“Being actively involved in different competitive science competitions, I was very aware of the plethora of environmental issues that inflict pain to these plants and animals and continue to marginalize them to near extinction,” Yun says. “This contest seemed to be the perfect way for me to contribute to this growing effort to prevent such unfortunate happenings.”

Two other young California artists placed first in their grade categories in the same contest, competing against about 1,500 entries. Rachel Yang, a second grader from Belmont, Calif., won first place in K-2 grades with her painting Yelloweye Rockfish.

Yang, who is seven, began learning to draw when she was four. She chose to paint the Yelloweye Rockfish because they have pretty colors and she would be sad if they are all gone.

Seventh grader Katrina Sharonin, also from Belmont, won first place in the 6-8 grade group with her art titled Atlantic salmon. Her favorite part of the contest was all the competition.

“From the beginning to the end, I felt a new way of art. All of it was just wonderful, from seeing amazing, inspirational artists, to doing my own painting, to the judging,” Sharonin says. “All of it was a lovely experience.”

Pam Bierce is a public affairs officer with external affairs in the Pacific Southwest Regional office in Sacramento, California.