By Anna Ironside
Postage stamps featuring wildlife are helping to fund conservation and bring awareness to communities about habitat protection throughout the Great Lakes region by centering species like the wood duck (Aix sponsa), wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and piping plover (Charadrius melodus).
These stamps showcase wildlife artwork and are used as licenses for bird hunting, while also granting a free annual pass to national wildlife refuges.
The programs and agencies behind them were established to promote habitat restoration, support conservation research and encourage public involvement in protecting wildlife.
Alissa Kakatsch, an assistant game bird specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, explained how the stamps play an important part in funding conservation work for birds such as wild turkeys, pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and waterfowl.
“Turkey and pheasant funding can be used for habitats specifically related to turkeys or pheasant, but then they can also be used for research and education projects as well,” Kakatsch said.
This funding also supports the partnership between conservation groups and government agencies.
In Wisconsin, projects involve organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited.
“In general, we have a pretty vast array of organizations or partnerships with organizations, both internally and externally,” Kakatsch said.
Wetland restoration is funded by waterfowl stamps that support a variety of aquatic species, while pheasant stamps support grassland conservation.
“Our waterfowl work is a lot of wetland water, which will affect a lot of other species far beyond just ducks and geese here in Wisconsin,” Kakatsch said.
In Wisconsin, wildlife stamp artwork is selected through annual contests. Artists must achieve a realistic portrayal of the species and its environment to be considered.
Judges evaluate entries based on how accurately the species is portrayed and whether the background environment reflects a habitat where the animal would naturally be found.
For waterfowl stamps, artists may choose different duck or goose species, but they must be species that are in Wisconsin.
Habitat work funded by the stamps can support ecosystems beyond the target species.
Kakatsch said restoration projects funded through the programs can improve landscapes used by a variety of wildlife, meaning that efforts designed for game birds frequently benefit other birds and animals that share the same environments.
To increase public awareness about the stamps and conservation in general, Wisconsin now displays all submitted works during the Wisconsin Waterfall Hunters Expo.
“This way, not only seeing the winning pieces, the members of the public get to see all of the artwork that is submitted just to get a little bit more recognition out there,” Kakatsch said.
The DNR is now accepting artwork for the 2027 turkey, pheasant and waterfowl stamp contests. In Wisconsin, hunters are required to buy a stamp for each species to legally hunt these game birds.
Across Lake Michigan, conservation groups use the wildlife stamps to introduce people to the region’s biodiversity.
Don Burlett, who served as president of Oakland Bird Alliance for 18 years in Michigan, spoke on the variety of species captured in the Michigan dunes stamp.
“When you actually do a little research, it claims 27 species in just that one picture for the 2008 stamp,” Burlett said.
The design included animals commonly found in the region, including piping plovers, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularius), along with plants and insects.
“And only if you pay attention do you notice that they’re all there,” Burlett said.
The Oakland Bird Alliance works with partners to support conservation and public education, including county agencies and private companies that manage land for wildlife habitats.
“It’s all continuously trying to educate the public on what’s going on,” Burlett said.
In Ohio, Department of Natural Resources communications manager Brian Plasters said featuring different species on wildlife stamps helps highlight the diversity of birds found in the state.
“People like to see different species on the stamp,” Plasters said. “When it changes each year, people look forward to seeing what’s on it.”
The Ohio DNR partners with Ducks Unlimited for the Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp to help fund wetland conservation in Ohio and the broader Great Lakes region.
Looking ahead, Plasters said continued participation from hunters and outdoor recreationists helps support conservation funding.
Plasters said protecting habitat will continue to be an important focus for conservation in Ohio.
Ensuring that wetlands and other natural areas remain available for birds to nest and raise their young is an ongoing priority for agencies and conservation partners across the region, he said.
“We have a loyal group of hunters who are passionate about what they do,” Plasters said. “That helps make sure these activities continue and stay funded.”