News & Observer Birdhouse Competition at the JC Raulston Arboretum

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

  • Thursday, March 31, 2011 – 7:30 pm–9:00 pm – FOA Lecture
  • Friday, April 1, 2011 – 9:00 am–6:00 pm – Entries Accepted
  • Saturday, April 2, 2011 – 10:00 am–5:00 pm – Show
  • Sunday, April 3, 2011 – 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 March 31 through April 3. 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

March 31, 2011 (Thursday)

7:30 PM – Friends of the Arboretum Lecture – "Backyard Birdhouses" presented by Gary Carter, Carolinas' Nature Photographers Association and Robert Smith, Certified Wildlife Biologist and Outdoor Photographer

April 1, 2011 (Friday)

9:00 AM-6:00 PM – Registration of entries. No birdhouse entries will be accepted after 6:00 PM.

4:00 PM-7:00 PM – JCRA Plant Sale (Members Only Preview)

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

April 2, 2011 (Saturday)

9:00 AM-5:00 PM – JCRA 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 3, 2011 (Sunday)

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

2:00 PM – Tour of the JCRA.

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

April 4, 2011 (Monday)

Entries may be picked up between 9:00 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

>

"Treasures of the Tar Heel State" Best-of-theme Award

Two best-of-theme awards will be given to the entries that best exemplify our "Treasures of the Tar Heel State" theme (one per all adults and one per all children). Use your imagination. Any birdhouse with a "Treasures of the Tar Heel State" theme will be considered for this award. This is not a separate category. All birdhouses entered will be considered for this award.

Prizes

Various prizes provided by the News & Observer will be awarded.

Judges

If you think you'd make a great judge for the N&O Birdhouse Competition at the JCRA, please contact Chris Glenn at (919) 513-7005 or chris_glenn@ncsu.edu. We look for judges with various talents. We look for birders, wood workers, artists, youth educators, etc. Judges cannot enter the competition and cannot be related to anyone that is.

Adult Categories
Mary Lou Eycke
Becky Lee
Bob Thompson

Children Categories
John Buettner
Anitra Todd
Jane Thompson
Laura Turas

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 fill out an entry form (adults and children) 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

"Backyard Birdhouses"
Gary Carter, Carolinas' Nature Photographers Association and Robert Smith, Certified Wildlife Biologist and Outdoor Photographer

March 31, 2011 (Thursday) – 7:30 PM – Free

Tour Details

April 2, 2011 (Saturday) – 2:00 PM-3:00 PM
April 3, 2011 (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.

Wake Audubon Informational Booth

April 2, 2011 – 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
April 3, 2011 – 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 have activities for children and T-shirts and bluebird houses for sale.

Cost
Free.
Registration
Advance registration is not available to attend any of this event. If you are planning on entering a birdhouse in the show, please fill out an entry form (adults and children) prior to dropping off your birdhouse. Please fill out the form completely. Both sections in the individual forms are needed.
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.