Inuvik (Nov 19/04) - The Mackenzie Delta may be under a sheet of ice and snow, but Grade 6 student James Day's colouring skills brought the region's wetlands and its feathered residents back into the consciousness of Alisha Manuel's class Tuesday afternoon.

The Inuvik chapter of Ducks Unlimited -- an organization with a mission to conserve Canada's wetlands -- put on a colouring contest for Grades 3 to 6 at Sir Alexander Mackenzie school to raise awareness amongst the youth of importance of conservation.

At the chapter's 18th annual banquet last week, which raised a record $77,000, Day's contest entry was voted best effort out of nearly 100 entries.

"I was surprised to win," said Day who, in addition to earning a stuffed moose in camouflage vest, scored a Greenwing Conservation package for his class from the 65-year-old Ducks Unlimited organization.

"Hey James, why don't you use it for target practice," joshed one of Day's school chums after he was presented with the moose.

"The response to the contest was overwhelming," said Cyril Gregory, former chair of the Inuvik Ducks Unlimited chapter. "It's a super cause and if we can get the kids involved that's great."

The Greenwing Conservation package includes several instruction modules, waterfowl field guides and a subscription to Puddles, a Ducks Unlimited conservation magazine geared to youth.

Ducks Unlimited's conservation efforts take many forms from on-the-ground research, lobbying to change government policy in regard to wetlands conservation and public education.

In the Mackenzie Delta region, Ducks Unlimited has funded several duck-banding and bird count projects. According to the organization, there are 13 species of ducks in the Delta in addition to other migratory waterfowl.