Wood Ducks Win Top Honors At The 34th Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest

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ANNAPOLIS – Jim Taylor’s “Autumn’s Glory” took home top honors and will become Maryland’s Migratory Game Bird Stamp for the 2007-2008 hunting season. The entry of the Towson artist features a pair of wood ducks and was selected by five judges from a field of 38 entries at the Eighteenth Annual Patuxent Wildlife Art Show. 21 Maryland artists entered the highly competitive contest this year.

The honor represents Taylor’s second Maryland win. His first win came in 1997 and he was a top 20 finalist in the 2006 and 2007 Federal Waterfowl Stamp Competition. Mr. Taylor’s interest in wildlife art began in his early teens and was elevated through college at the Baltimore-based Maryland Institute – College of Art. His favorite subjects are waterfowl and songbirds.

The Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest, the 4th oldest in the nation, has been showcasing the talents of wildlife artists since 1974. It serves as the selection mechanism for the Maryland “Duck Stamp” which is a required purchase by all who hunt migratory game birds in Maryland. The stamps are also highly coveted by stamp enthusiasts worldwide. Proceeds from the sale of the stamps have generated over $4 million since 1974 to create and improve habitat and conduct critical research on migratory game birds.

Prints of the winning entry will soon be available in galleries across the mid-Atlantic or by contacting the artist at 410-825-9158; e-mail jimtaylorart@comcast.net.

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April 9, 2007

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov