print     e-mail    go back

Eight-Year-Old Westport Student Wins Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp Contest

DARTMOUTH, Mass.— Eight-year-old Westport student Jack Tripp was awarded first prize in the 2009 Massachusetts Jr. Duck Stamp Contest (K-3 Division) for his watercolor painting of an American black duck. A bird enthusiast, Tripp was inspired to enter the contest during a Junior Bird Club meeting at Mass Audubon’s Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in South Dartmouth, when guest artist Ruth Edwards visited in January and introduced sketching to the children.

Sixteen drafts later, Tripp was satisfied with his work and submitted his entry. “We told Jack not to get his heart set on winning because a lot of kids enter the contest,” said his mom, Dawn Tripp. “We were proud of him because he worked so hard and felt that he had already accomplished a lot simply by completing the entry. Art is one of his favorite activities. He loves being outside and he loves the natural world,” she adds.

Tripp agrees that he really enjoys art. “I like landscapes,” he says. His favorite medium is watercolor, “because if you make a mistake, you can correct it by adding more water and wiping the color away with a paper towel,” he says.

The Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp competition is part of a national program sponsored by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife service. It is designed to teach wetland habitat and conservation to children in grades K-12. This unique program allows students to express themselves artistically and share their knowledge of wildlife beauty and diversity. Students at the state level are judged in four groups, according to grade level.

Tripp has participated in other art programs at the Allens Pond Sanctuary, including Nature’s Sketchbook, and his drawings are on display throughout the field stations at the sanctuary. The Duck Stamp contest entry, however, was his first attempt at painting a duck. “The American black duck lives around here in the winter,” Tripp says. “It has a light black head and a dark black body. I thought it was a good choice.”

Truth be told, the bluebird is Tripp’s favorite bird. Tripp and his dad are frequent visitors at the Allens Pond sanctuary and also volunteer to monitor eight bluebird boxes. His knowledge of bluebirds and their nesting habits is extensive, and, last year, he helped high-school student learn about bluebirds during a school break. This year, Tripp and his dad are also going to help monitor piping plovers on the town beach.

Another area of interest for this vibrant young man is fundraising. Tripp is participating in Mass Audubon’s Bird-a-Thon for the third year and already has raised nearly $650! His web page, www.firstgiving.com/jacktripp, has attracted contributions from friends and family members. The Tripps plan on using local habitats, including their yard and the beach, for their bird watching during the 2009 Bird-a-Thon, which will be held on May 15 and 16.

The staff at Allens Pond appreciate Tripp’s talents and dedication. “Jack is incredibly enthusiastic and always smiling. He is a lot of fun to be around,” says Mass Audubon’s Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary Volunteer Coordinator Becky Cushing.

The respect is mutual. According to Jack’s mom, Dawn Tripp, Allens Pond Sanctuary Director Gina Purtell has been an inspiration to her son. “Gina is one of those people who shapes a child’s view of the world. She has instilled a passion in Jack about nature and stewardship,” she says. Mrs. Tripp speaks enthusiastically about the Junior Bird Club at Allen’s pond. She says it meets the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 at the Allens Pond Sanctuary. “There were 12 kids at the last meeting and we were able to get in a great hike,” she says. “The children learn about bird migration and nesting, but mostly they have fun!”