JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — On March 29, five judges gathered at the National Elk Refuge to determine the winners of the 2022 Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Entries came from across Wyoming—from Powell to Cokeville to Jackson. This year’s contest was extremely competitive, with over 180 very talented entries; in the end, 95 placers and honorable mentions across four age categories came out on top.
Sophia Petrie, 15, of Powell, earned the title of 2022 Wyoming Best of Show with her colored pencil rendition of a fulvous whistling duck.
Other notable winners include Powell’s Stephen Williams who created the runner-up Best of Show piece, a colored pencil rendition of a redhead; and Ari Groll, 8, of Cokeville, who won the Betty Nelson Artistic Promise Award for her colored pencil and crayon rendition of a trumpeter swan.
This year’s winning Wyoming Conservation Message was written by Grace Lengfelder, 14, of Powell, who wrote: “Conservation is important to me because the land and animals came before us, it’s only fair that we take care of their homes.”
This year, the winners’ list was dominated by Powell High School and Cokeville Elementary School along with several homeschool entries. Popular subjects included trumpeter swans, green-winged teals, and redheads.
