Entries still being accepted for kids' art contest, wildlife photography and carving contests

The 2018 Michigan Duck Hunters Association Michigan Duck Stamp Competition will take place at http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTcwNzIwLjc2MTM2MjgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE3MDcyMC43NjEzNjI4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MTk0OTcyJmVtYWlsaWQ9ZWRpdG9yQHRoZW91dGRvb3J3aXJlLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9ZWRpdG9yQHRoZW91dGRvb3J3aXJlLmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&102&&&http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=437">Bay City State Recreation Area Saturday, Aug. 5, as part of the 19th annual Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival. All entries will be on display inside the Saginaw Bay Visitor Center auditorium starting at 3:30 p.m., and judging will begin at 4 p.m.

Open to all artists, the competition may feature original artwork representing specific waterfowl species. The first-place entry will win a $1,500 cash prize, second place $300 and third place $200.

A special youth contest, the Future Duck Stamp Artist Contest, also will be held in conjunction with this event. Young artists, age 17 and under, may submit original drawings (in any media) of a Michigan duck or goose composed on 9-inch by 12-inch paper. These drawings should be delivered to the Saginaw Bay Visitor Center by 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5.

Visitors also will be able to take part in special waterfowl art activities, such as drawing a duck with 1992 Michigan duck stamp artist Heiner Hertling, star of the PBS television series "Your Brush With Nature." Visitors will be able to view displays, including the entire Michigan duck stamp collection.

Art and wildlife enthusiasts also will be able to view and vote on their favorite entries in a wildlife carving contest and wildlife photography contest. Entries are still being taken for both of these events, with divisions of competition including amateur, master and youth. There is no cost for entries. First-place ribbons and Michigan duck stamp prints will be awarded Sunday to winning carvings and photos. To enter or for more information about either contest, email saginawbaywaterfowl@gmail.com or call 989-667-0717.

The Michigan Waterfowl Stamp program began 38 years ago to raise money for wetland habitat restoration and habitat acquisition for waterfowl. A portion of every waterfowl stamp purchased goes toward Michigan wetland habitat restoration. Over a million dollars has been raised for waterfowl conservation projects since the first stamp was issued in 1976. For more details on the 2018 Michigan Duck Stamp Competition, contact Ed Standler, Michigan Duck Hunters Association Duck Stamp Program coordinator, at 989-545-9525 or yellowdawgg@hotmail.com.

The Michigan Duck Stamp Contest is part of the two-day Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival, taking place Aug. 5 and 6. Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, the festival offers numerous programs, exhibits and competitions focusing on Michigan's ducks and geese that depend upon the wetlands of the Saginaw Bay Watershed for staging, nesting and breeding habitat. Visitors will be able to take part in a wide range of activities to help them become more aware of the sport of waterfowl watching and hunting and the conservation and management of Michigan's waterfowl resources. The event is co-sponsored by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan Duck Hunters Association, the Frank N. Andersen Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Cabela's, Frank's Great Outdoors and the Friends of Bay City State Recreation Area.

For more details about the 2017 Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival, visit the Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival Facebook page or the Friends of Bay City State Recreation Area website at www.friendsofpark.org or call the Saginaw Bay Visitor Center at 989-667-0717.

Admission to the Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival is free; however, a Recreation Passport is required for each vehicle that enters the park for the festival. Passports are $11 for those who have not gotten them with their vehicle registration and can be purchased at the park the day of the festival or at any state park prior to the festival.

The Saginaw Bay Visitor Center is located in Bay City State Recreation Area, at 3582 State Park Drive in Bay City. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/saginawbayvc.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Contact: Valerie Blaschka, 989-667-0717