Florida Junior Duck Stamp winner
On March 26, the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge hosted the annual Florida Junior Duck Stamp Contest, a tradition honoring Sanibel as the birthplace of the competition. Jaye Boswell, a former teacher at The Sanibel School, started it with her third graders in 1989. Eventually the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sanctioned it as part of its Federal Duck Stamp program for students in grades K-12. This year’s Best of Show winner is Beckett Smith, 15, a homeschooler from Indian Rocks Beach. His wood duck entry will go to Washington, D.C., to represent Florida in the National Junior Duck Stamp contest. The state competition judges included artists Lacy McClary, John Brennan and Vince Thomalla; radio host Amy Lynn; and biologist Mike Mills. They selected winners from 987 entries.