DENVER, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation requests original artwork entries for the 2015 Colorado Waterfowl Stamp Art Contest. This year’s species of focus is the wood duck, Aix sponsa. The deadline for artist submissions is 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24.

“It is amazing every year to see what the artists come up with,” said Tilman Bishop, a volunteer member of the Waterfowl Stamp Art Committee, which judges the entries. “The new artists who are starting out in this specialized category of art always catch my attention.”

The Colorado Waterfowl Stamp program was implemented in 1990 and provides funding to conserve wetlands for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife.

Waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older are required by state law to purchase a waterfowl stamp annually before hunting. In addition to hunters, many collectors aid in wetland conservation by purchasing collector stamps and prints that are created from the winning entry.

“We are all beneficiaries of the Waterfowl Stamp,” Bishop added. “Whether you are a hunter, a bird watcher or just a citizen that likes seeing wildlife, every one of us gets the benefit of this terrific program.”

The wood duck is a colorful perching duck found during the breeding and migration seasons throughout Colorado in suitable riparian and wetland habitats. While sporting bright colors, especially the males, the wood duck blends easily into its background and it takes a seasoned hunter or bird watcher to spot this bird.

Artists must submit a 13-inch high by-18 inch wide, full color original artwork for the contest. There is a $50 fee for each entry. Complete requirements are explained in the application packet, which is available at http://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/WaterfowlStamp.aspx and http://www.cowildlifefoundation.org/#!programs/c10d6.

Hunters can purchase the required waterfowl stamp where hunting licenses are sold. Past stamp winners can be viewed on-line at http://www.cowildlifefoundation.org/#!shop/c1yzj.

For more information about Colorado Parks and Wildlife go to: http://cpw.state.co.us.