News & Observer Birdhouse Competition at the JC Raulston Arboretum

Sponsored by the News and Observer, Pennington Seed, and the JC Raulston Arboretum

  • Friday, March 24, 2006 – 7:30 am–9:00 pm – Entries Accepted
  • Saturday, March 25, 2006 – 11:00 am–5:00 pm – Show
  • Sunday, March 26, 2006 – 12:00 pm–5:00 pm – Show

Schedule of Events

March 24, 2006 (Friday)

7:30 AM-7:00 PM – Registration of entries. No birdhouse entries will be accepted after 7:00 PM.

7:30 PM – Friends of the Arboretum Lecture – "First in Flight: Birds and Butterflies of the Outer Banks" by Jeffrey S. Pippen, Environment and Earth Sciences, Durham, North Carolina

March 25, 2006 (Saturday)

8:00 AM-11:00 AM – Judging begins promptly and should take one to three hours to complete. Winners will be announced upon completion of judging and in the News and Observer.

11:00 AM-5:00 PM – Entries on display.

10:00 AM – Tours of the JCRA highlighting plants that attract birds.

2:00 PM – Tours of the JCRA highlighting plants that attract birds.

March 26, 2006 (Sunday)

12:00 PM-5:00 PM – Entries on display.

2:00 PM – Tours of the JCRA highlighting plants that attract birds.

5:00 PM-6:00 PM – Entries may be picked up.

March 27, 2006 (Monday)

Entries may be picked up between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM on Monday. Entries not removed by 6:00 PM will become the property of the JCRA.

Birdhouse Competition Specifics

Categories

Adult (Ages 13 and above)


  • Professional

  • Serious

  • Flight of Fancy

Children


  • Ages 4-6

  • Ages 7-9

  • Ages 10-12

Prizes


  • 1st – $100.00

  • 2nd – $50.00

  • 3rd – $25.00

Judges

Jamie Butler, Arts Together and The Magellan Charter School – children category
Donna Dietrich, Photographer and JCRA Volunteer – children category
John Dole, NCSU – adult category
Beth Jimenez, Lasting Impressions and JCRA Volunteer – adult category
Carolyn Shearon, Retired Teacher – children category
Kathleen Thompson, Flower I and JCRA – adult category

Competition Guidelines

Professoinal (for those making and selling bird houses as a hobby or for a living)

Entries will be judged on:

  • Craftsmanship
    • Functionality for humans and birdsMountability, ability to be raised or lowered, type of material, ability to be cleaned out, hole, roof, chamber (hole diameter, depth)Aesthetics

Adult Serious

Entries will be judged on:

  • Craftsmanship
    • Functionality for humans and birdsMountability, ability to be raised or lowered, type of material, ability to be cleaned out, hole, roof, chamber (hole diameter, depth)Aesthetics

Flight of Fancy

Entries will be judged on:


  • Aesthetics
    • Imaginative theme or concept and exceptional use of form, texture, and/or color, composition, and execution
  • Craftsmanship

  • Functionality (for birds)

  • Hole, roof, chamber

Children (Ages 4-12)

Entries will be judged on:


  • Aesthetics
    • Imaginative theme or concept; use of form, texture and/or color
  • Craftsmanship

    • Functionality (for birds) hole, roof, chamber

All entries should be portable (by one person).

All entries should be able to stand alone when placed upon a display table. As much as possible, children's entries should be prepared by the entrant.

Friends of the Arboretum Lecture Specifics

"First in Flight: Birds and Butterflies of the Outer Banks"

Jeffrey S. Pippen, Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

The North Carolina Outer Banks and environs are one of the premier destinations on the east coast for beachgoers and nature enthusiasts alike. With an emphasis on birds and butterflies, this talk will provide highlights of some of the places to go and wild, winged things to see on birding and "butterflying" trips to the Outer Banks. Tips will be given on how and where to find and identify both birds and butterflies of this special region of North Carolina.

Jeff Pippen started birding and "butterflying" in 1985 by taking both field ornithology and field entomology courses that led to his Masters in Biology at the University of Michigan Biological Station. Since then he has birded in eight countries and has seen over 1,600 bird species. He has birded the Outer Banks several times a year for the last 16 years and has led trips both onshore and offshore for several different organizations including U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Carolina Bird Club, and the Carolina Butterfly Society. When he's not birding/butterflying, he does research in plant physiology and ecology at Duke University and is a Biology Instructor at Durham Technical Community College.

Tour Specifics

Tour will highlight feather friendly plants. Tours will run for approximately 45 minutes and will be led by JCRA volunteers.

Bluebird Film and Informational Seminars

March 25, 2006 – 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
March 26, 2006 – 12:00 PM-5:00 PM

Bill Satterwhite, JCRA volunteer and long-time member of the North Carolina Bluebird Society, will present a film on bluebirds and share information about the birds. Bill maintains a trail of approximately 65-70 bluebird houses in Raleigh including the bluebird houses at the JCRA. He was one of the 2003 recipients of the Annual Bluebird Conservation Award. Video showing bluebird houses, nests being built, birds hatching, etc. will be shown.

Audubon Society Informational Display

March 25, 2006 (Saturday) – 11:00 AM-5:00 PM

Cost
Free.
Registration
Advance registration is not available.
Location
Ruby C. McSwain Education Center, JC Raulston Arboretum.
Directions
Need directions? Click here.
Parking
Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.
Questions
Please call (919) 515-3132 for more information about this event.