17-Year-Old Girl Killed In I-15 Crash Left Gift For Humankind

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CA — A teen girl who was killed in a traffic collision on Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County earlier this month left a lasting message about the world around us.

"Conservation is our responsibility, a reflection of our past, present and future," Kaitlin Garant wrote when she competed in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2024 National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest. She took home first place in the "Conservation Message" portion of the event in April of that year.

The 17-year-old Henderson, Nevada, resident was killed shortly after 6 a.m. Aug. 8 on southbound I-15, south of Bailey Road, in Mountain Pass, according to the San Bernardino County coroner. The crash area is near the California-Nevada border, not far from Garant's city of residence.

Garant was a passenger in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Further details about the crash were not immediately available.

According to information about Garant's contribution to conservation, she was a student at Coral Academy of Science when she took top honors in the 2024 USFWS contest.

Students in kindergarten through grade 12 participate in their annual state Junior Duck Stamp Program through their school, home, art studio, after-school group, or from a refuge, park or nature center. After learning about wetlands, waterfowl, and wildlife conservation, they express their learning through a drawing or painting of a duck, goose or swan.

During the 2024 contest, the winning art was of a king eider by 17-year-old Emily Lian of Oregon.

In addition to the art contest, the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Message Contest encourages students to express in words the spirit of what they have learned through classroom discussions, research, and planning for their Junior Duck Stamp Contest entries.

Garant, who was 16 at the time of the 2024 contest, wrote the winning message. It's a legacy she left behind.

Each year, the winning art graces the Junior Duck Stamp, which raises funds to educate and engage the nation’s youth in wildlife and wetlands conservation and outdoor recreation.

In 2024, more than 15,000 young artists from across the nation submitted entries to the Junior Duck Stamp contests. The winner received $1,000. The second-place finisher received $500, and the third-place finisher received $200.

For her conservation message, Garant won $200.

Junior Duck Stamps are available to buy online through the U.S. Postal Service and at some national wildlife refuges. Proceeds from stamp sales are used to recognize young people who submit winning designs in state or national competitions and to further activities related to the conservation education goals of the Junior Duck Stamp program.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said at the time of the 2024 contest that the competition always culminates with "showcasing the result of students exploring their natural world through science, art, and writing, and sharing their gift with all of us."