COLUMBUS, OH - Artwork of tundra swans in flight by Robert Metropulos of Minocqua, Wisconsin won first place at this year's Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp design competition, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Metropulos' painting will appear on the Ohio wetlands stamp for the fall of 2004.
Waterfowl hunters, stamp collectors, and those interested in conserving wetland habitat purchase more than 35,000 wetlands stamps every year. Proceeds from the sale of these stamps help to fund vital wetland habitat restoration projects in Ohio. Such habitats are important to numerous resident wildlife species, including trumpeter swans, wetland birds, and amphibians, as well as many migratory species of ducks, shorebirds, and other birds that pass through Ohio each spring and fall.
Metropulos' entry was selected from a field of 29 entries of original paintings submitted by artists in 19 states, including eight from Ohio. The competition was held at the annual Ducks Unlimited convention on June 21 in Toledo.
It was a struggle and a lot of work, but I am pleased to help with the wildlife conservation effort in Ohio, said Metropulos, who has had great success with conservation stamp competitions in the last few years. His art won the pheasant stamp competition in 2003 in Wisconsin and he has placed 5th and 9th in the federal duck stamp competition. Metropulos' painting was his first winning entry in Ohio.
Second place honors went to Jeffrey Klinefelter, of Indiana for his rendering of Northern shovelers. Klinefelter also won the Ohio competition in 2002. Third place in Saturday's contest went to Mark Anderson of South Dakota for his portrait of a pair of wood ducks. Anderson is also a previous Ohio stamp winner in 2000.
Semi-finalists included Dan Brevic of Minnesota, Ron Kleiber of New York, and Kerry Holzman of Pennsylvania. Last year's Ohio wetlands stamp winner, Brian Blight of Pennsylvania, will see his painting of a hooded merganser appear on this fall's 2003 wetlands habitat stamp.
Judges for this year's event included George Stoiber, a local businessman; outdoor writer and naturalist Art Weber; Ducks Unlimited biologist, Heather Bond; John Murphy of Ducks Unlimited; and Ken Lewis who is a duck hunting guide. Steve Dye of Ducks Unlimited served as an alternate judge.