Duck calling, wildlife displays, decoy competitions — they’re all part of the upcoming East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival and North Carolina Decoy Carving Championships. But one event is reserved for children only: a decoy-painting workshop held at the North Carolina Estuarium.

For the past two decades, the Estuarium has taken part in the festival by offering children aged 4 to 12 the chance to paint, and take home, a miniature decoy.

“That’s actually one of my favorite parts of it — they get to come and learn and walk away with something that’s their own,” Russ Chesson, programming specialist for the Estuarium.

A member of the East Carolina Waterfowl Guild will lead the two workshops held at 9:30 and 11 a.m. on Feb. 6. This year’s decoy is a wood duck.

“Guild member will describe how the ducks are colored and show them how to paint the decoys and they’ll paint their own,” Chesson explained.

According to Chesson, the workshop is part of the Estuarium’s support of wildlife and the arts surrounding it.

“Folk art is the art of life and it sort of supports the heritage of the waterfowl arts,” Chesson said.

The event has always been extremely popular — so much so, that many children return year after year and those who have aged out of the workshop are coming back to help out.

“I have had at least two calls where parents are calling and their children have aged out of the program and want to come back and volunteer to help out as junior staff.

That’s a pretty good sign,” Chesson said.

Each workshop holds a maximum of 30 children. Chesson said the 11 a.m. workshop is nearly full, but there are still openings for the one at 9:30 a.m.

The workshops are free, but since space is limited, reservations are required. Call 252-948-0000 to make a reservation.