It feels like Spring has Sprung, and the little birdies are tweeting and patiently waiting for a hip new pad! Luckily for them, it is time for the Ogden Nature Center (in Ogden, Ut) annual Birdhouse Competition. If you’ve never visited the Ogden Nature Center (ONC), between the parking lot and visitors center there is a wonderfully whimsical trail of birdhouses worth perusing. The ONC has held this competition for 21 years and the birdhouse trail showcases some of the greats from over the years. The variety of designs and craftsmanship is AMAZING.
Last year I got to help out the Volunteens (a fun summer program for teenagers to volunteer) with their birdhouse entry. We built a replica of the ONC visitor center & we even won a prize!
The competition gets pretty stiff with entries submitted from around the country, but there are lots of prizes and categories to enter in. The entries need to be submitted by March 29, 2014 at 4 pm. Here is the entry form. Making a birdhouse is so much fun, you can do anything you want, the sky is the limit. The ONC has provided us with some guidelines on design size that best fits species of birds. So break out your tools and your design cap and get building, you can’t win if you don’t enter. Plus if you’ve got kids/grandkids, there is a special category just for them! Once you’ve got your masterpiece birdhouse built instagram or tweet your birdhouse with #hertoolbelt I’d love to see what you’ve come up with. Good Luck and happy building!
Here are some additional details about the competition:
CALL FOR ENTRIES – IT’S TIME TO BUILD BIRDHOUSES!
Ogden, UT – Now in its 21st year, the Ogden Nature Center announces its 2014 Birdhouse Competition and Exhibit.
It’s time to get out your supplies and start building birdhouses. Entries are due March 24-29 at the Ogden Nature Center, 966 W. 12th St., Ogden. There is no entry fee. This year, entries will be divided by adults, children (unassisted) and team/family groups. A select jury of professional artists and bird experts will judge the competition and choose winners in several categories such as “best use of materials,” “most imaginative,” “best use of recycled/natural materials,” and “best form/function.” Birdhouses selected for the exhibit will be installed and displayed April 10 through August 31. Winners will receive cash prizes at an awards presentation on Wednesday, April 9 at 5:30 pm in the L.S. Peery Education Building at the Ogden Nature Center.
All types of birdhouses are welcome: whimsical, beautiful, practical, functional, artistic or magical – but they all need to be sturdy! All ages are welcome to enter up to two creations. Working as a family or as a team, i.e., grandfather/grandson, etc., is acceptable and encouraged! A helpful guide of dimension preferences for certain bird species can be found on the Nature Center’s website at http://www.ogdennaturecenter.
Guidelines:
• All birdhouses must be original works created by the exhibitor. Commercially produced birdhouses or assembled kits will not be accepted.
• Size limitations: The base of the birdhouse may not exceed 24″ square. The height of the actual birdhouse (not including the post) may not exceed 36″ tall.
• All birdhouses must be freestanding on their own post and ready for installation outdoors. Birdhouses that are not freestanding will not be accepted for the exhibit. You must perch your birdhouse atop a sturdy post or attach a strong hanger. Posts will be installed at a depth of 1-2 feet.
• The Nature Center encourages the use of natural, reclaimed and recycled materials. Please consider the environment when choosing your materials and finishes. Please, no propane tanks this year.
• Please build sturdy birdhouses. Birdhouses need to last through all seasons outdoors.
• The judges will select which birdhouses are accepted into the 2014 exhibit. A limited number of entries will be accepted for the exhibit.
• The Ogden Nature Center reserves the right to refuse submissions.
This exhibit would not be possible without its sponsors: the Utah Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, Jack & Jodi Livingood, Shepherd’s Bush, Pat & Glen Richter, Wasatch Audubon Society, Booth Dental Clinic and Robin & Brad Farr Family, Wild Bird Center of Layton, Jeremiah’s Restaurant and Ogden Blue.
Registration forms and full details are also available online at www.ogdennaturecenter.org/
Thanks for the heads up.
Lots of interesting birdhouse designs would surely show up and compete this year. Thanks for sharing.