News & Observer Birdhouse Competition at the JC Raulston Arboretum

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

  • Thursday, April 8, 2010 – 7:30 pm–9:00 pm – FOA Lecture
  • Friday, April 9, 2010 – 8:00 am–6:00 pm – Entries Accepted
  • Saturday, April 10, 2010 – 10:00 am–5:00 pm – Show
  • Sunday, April 11, 2010 – 12:00 pm–5:00 pm – Show

It's that time of year again! The Great News & Observer Birdhouse Competition returns to the JC Raulston Arboretum with events scheduled April 8 through April 11. If making birdhouses is not your thing, then looking at them should be. The creations range from barrels of laughs to studies in craftsmanship and beauty. Pack up the whole brood and join the fun. A schedule of events follows:

Schedule of Events

April 8, 2010 (Thursday)

7:30 PM – Friends of the Arboretum Lecture – "Creating Backyard Wildlife Habitat" presented by Helen Yoest, Gardening With Confidence

April 9, 2010 (Friday)

7:30 AM-6:00 PM – Registration of entries. No birdhouse entries will be accepted after 6:00 PM.

6:30 PM-9:30 PM – Judging begins promptly and should take one to three hours to complete.

April 10, 2010 (Saturday)

9:00 AM-6:00 PM – Plant sale.

10:00 AM-5:00 PM – Entries on display. Winners will be announced upon completion of judging and in the News and Observer.

April 11, 2010 (Sunday)

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

12:00 PM-6:00 PM - Plant sale.

2:00 PM – Tour of the JCRA.

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

April 12, 2010 (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 16 and above)


  • Serious

  • Flight of Fancy

Children


  • Ages 4-6

  • Ages 7-9

  • Ages 10-12

  • Ages 13-15

"All Things Botanical" Best-of-theme Award

Two best-of-theme awards will be given to the entries that best exemplify our "All Things Botanical" theme (one per all adults and one per all children). Use your imagination. Any birdhouse with a plant-related theme will be considered for this award. Use a watering can for your birdhouse, build it in the shape of a flower, or create something uniquely your own. This is not a separate category. All birdhouses entered will be considered for this award.

Prizes

Various prizes provided by the News & Observer and Pennington Seed will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners along with the best-of-theme winners.

Judges

Cheryl Cotter
Mary Lou Eycke
Brennie Holloman
Beth Jimenez
Linda Larkins
Maggie Larson
Mishi McCoy
Joan Robertson

Competition Guidelines

Serious

Entries will be judged on:


  • Craftsmanship

  • Functionality for humans and birds

  • Mountability, ability to be raised or lowered, type of material, ability to be cleaned out, hole, roof, chamber (hole diameter, depth)

  • Aesthetics

Note: Birdhouses entered into the Serious category can best be described as working birdhouses. They will be judged using the criteria listed above in the order they are listed.

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, etc.)

Note: Birdhouses entered into the Flights of Fancy category can best be described as decorator birdhouses. They will be judged using the criteria listed above in the order they are listed.

Please note the order in which the judging criteria are listed. These are listed in the order of importance for each category.

Children (Ages 4-15)

Entries will be judged on:


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

  • Functionality for birds (hole, roof, chamber, etc.)

Best-of-theme Award

Best-of-theme awards will be judged on:


  • Aesthetics

  • Imaginative theme or concept, form, texture, and/or color, composition, and execution

  • Craftsmanship

  • Functionality for birds (hole, roof, chamber, etc.)

All entries should be portable.

Most entries should be able to stand alone when placed upon a display table. Large birdhouses should be equipped with their own stand that can support the birdhouse in an upright position on a concrete floor. As much as possible, children's entries should be prepared by the entrant.

Entry Forms

If you are planning on entering a birdhouse in the show, please consider filling out an entry form (links removed) prior to dropping off your birdhouse. Please fill out the form completely. Both sections in the individual forms are needed.

Friends of the Arboretum Lecture Details

"Creating Backyard Wildlife Habitat"
Helen Yoest, Gardening With Confidence

April 8, 2010 (Thursday) – 7:30 PM – Free

Food, water, cover, and places to raise our young. Sound familiar? The needs for a human family are the same for the wildlife raising their families. It is simple to do and richly rewarding. Engaging children in this activity also teaches and aids our next generation of gardeners.

A walk through your property will reveal what you may already have to provide a wildlife habitat. The National Wildlife Federation has a program to certify your backyard or community. The mission of the NWF is "to inspire awareness to protect wildlife for our children's future." Whether you choose to certify your backyard or use this information as a tool to make your garden more wildlife friendly, creating a wildlife habitat is fun and easy to do.

Tour Details

April 10, 2010 (Saturday) – 2:00 PM-3:00 PM
April 11, 2010 (Sunday) – 2:00 PM-3:00 PM

We invite you to join us for free guided tours through the Arboretum. Learn about the Arboretum's history, plants, and more.

Bluebird Film and Informational Booth

April 10, 2010 – 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
April 11, 2010 – 1:00 PM-4:00 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. A video showing bluebird houses, nests being built, birds hatching, etc. will be shown.

Wake Audubon Informational Booth

April 10, 2010 – 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
April 11, 2010 – 12:00 PM-5:00 PM

Join Wake Audubon, winners of the 2007 Governor's Award for Conservation Organization of the Year, at their information booth. They'll also have T-shirts available.

Cost
Free.
Registration
Advance registration is not available.
Location
Ruby C. McSwain Education Center at the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, North Carolina. Tours begin at the entrance to the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center at the 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) 513-7005 for more information about this event.