Audubon CT Greenwich: CT Waterfowl Conservation Day

To help highlight the Federal Duck Stamp judging being held in Connecticut, this special event held the Saturday before will showcase our state’s waterfowl heritage and conservation efforts. The day will be full of fun family activities focused on everything waterfowl:

• Talk to representatives from the DEEP Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Police Divisions, Greenwich Audubon, and various waterfowl conservation organizations, like the Connecticut Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, and Delta Waterfowl.
• Learn about the federal Duck Stamp judging from the Bruce Museum and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• View a showcase of waterfowl wood carvers, decoy makers, and artists.
• Learn about the Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Contest and Connecticut’s Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp. Artwork from the most recent Connecticut contest will be on display, as well as artwork from the Migratory Bird Stamp from the past 30+ years.
• A variety of activities for kids, such as building wood duck nest boxes, as well as giveaways.
• Stay tuned for more activities and highlights.

Federal Duck Stamp Judging to Be Held in Connecticut

Mergansers, pintails, mallards and eiders have all adorned the Federal Duck Stamp, one of the most successful conservation programs in United States history. Discover the artistry behind the popular waterfowl hunting stamp in “Conservation Through the Arts: Celebrating the Federal Duck Stamp,” on view September 5, 2024-February 9, 2025, at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich. The exhibition showcases a unique array of paintings and works on paper by renowned wildlife artists, including more than 70 works recently donated to the Museum.

The Bruce Museum will also welcome visitors to experience the 2024 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest LIVE at the Museum on September 19-20, 2024. At the two-day event, five expert judges will examine hundreds of entries to select the winning design for the 2025 Federal Duck Stamp. The five species eligible for the contest are Northern Shoveler, Brant, Greater Scaup, Spectacled Eider and Hooded Merganser.

Since its launch in 1934, the Federal Duck Stamp has raised more than $1.2 billion to preserve over 6.5 million acres of wetlands across the United States. All duck hunters must purchase the stamp, which supports the conservation and acquisition of wetlands where the birds thrive. The first stamp featured a brush and ink drawing of mallards by famous Pulitzer-Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and noted conservationist Jay N. “Ding” Darling. Darling was chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey, a precursor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, from 1934-1936.

In the early years of the program, the annual stamp design was selected by a panel from a shortlist of invited wildlife artists. The first art contest was held in 1949. The contest, open to any U.S. artist aged 18 or older, remains the only art competition run by the U.S. government. Hundreds of artists vie each year for the prestige of seeing their art grace the new stamp.

Works on view in “Conservation Through the Arts” include original paintings, drawings and etchings representing the winning stamp designs, part of a recent donation to the Museum by collector Richie Prager. An avid outdoorsman, Prager got his first stamp at the age of 15. After years of developing a substantial collection, he began seeking out the original artworks behind the stamps. As a Greenwich resident, Prager felt strongly about making the Bruce the permanent home for his one-of-a-kind collection as a way to give back to his community.

Historic documents and objects from the Bruce Museum’s natural history collections will accompany the artwork on view. Highlights of the exhibition include an early print by Darling; two paintings by David Maass, one of history’s most famous wildlife artists; and contemporary paintings by Joseph, James and Robert Hautman, three brothers renowned for collectively winning 15 competitions.

This event is FREE and no RSVP required.