Build A Birdhouse for our 2024 Competition & Exhibit

CALL FOR ENTRIES - IT’S TIME TO BUILD BIRDHOUSES!
Now in its 31st year, the Ogden Nature Center announces the 2024 Birdhouse Competition and Exhibit.

Important Dates

- March 11-16, 2024:  Entries will be accepted at the Ogden Nature Center's  Visitor Center front desk.  966 W. 12th St., Ogden, Utah.  Open Mon.-Fri., 9am - 5pm and Sat., 9am - 4pm.

 - April 10 at 5:30 pm:  Opening reception and exhibit stroll for competition winners.  Winners will be notified to attend. Refreshments will be served.

 - April 10 through June 29, 2024:  Chosen birdhouses will be on display for the duration of the exhibit.  Entries left at the Nature Center after July 1st will be added to the permanent collection or discarded.

Competition Goals

The goals of this birdhouse competition and exhibit are to:

- Encourage construction of functional and aesthetically pleasing birdhouses

- Encourage the use of environmentally sensitive materials

- Demonstrate ways to attract wildlife by creating unique backyard habitats

- Inspire creativity in backyard habitats

- Encourage artistic and hand-crafted approaches to birdhouse design

Entrants may visit the Ogden Nature Center to look at the installation site and to research birdhouse styles. Ogden Nature Center has several resources on creative birdhouses and construction requirements to attract a variety of birds.

Also, there is a very helpful guide on our website -- which includes suggestions for appropriate floor size, entry hole size, depth and hanging/mounting height for specific birds commonly found in our area.  These are very specific specifications which will help you build houses that birds actually nest in.

Awards

- An interdisciplinary jury will select several entries in all categories: adult, children and family/team.  Top winners will receive cash awards.

- Special awards will be given for entries which are well designed as homes for birds and incorporate recyclable and recycled materials and nontoxic finishes.

- Exhibitors whose works are chosen for the exhibit may designate whether their works are for sale.  All works must remain on display for the duration of the exhibit through the end of June. Entries left at the Nature Center after June will be considered a donation. Ogden Nature Center will not charge commission on pieces sold.

- In an effort to keep quality birdhouses permanently displayed at the Nature Center, the top birdhouse builder will be awarded a "commission award" of $200 cash, and in addition, the Nature Center will offer to purchase the birdhouse or have the builder create another, with a commission of $200.

Exhibit Guidelines

- We will accept one entry per person. 

- All birdhouses must be original works created by the exhibitor. Commercially produced birdhouses or assembled kits will not be accepted.  Ogden Nature Center reserves the right to refuse submissions.

- There is no fee for entering.

- The event judges will select which birdhouses are accepted into the exhibit.  A limited number of entries will be accepted for the exhibit due to space restrictions.        

- Size limitations: The base of the birdhouse may not exceed 24" square.  The height of the birdhouse may not exceed 36" tall, not including the post.

- No propane tanks please.

- Consider DURABILITY when designing your creation.

- The Ogden Nature Center encourages the use of recycled, reclaimed or sustainable building materials.  Please consider the environment when choosing your materials.

- All birdhouses must be freestanding and ready for installation outdoors. You must perch your birdhouse on the end of a post or attach a sturdy hanger. We will install birdhouses on posts at a depth of 1-2 feet.

Liability

Ogden Nature Center is a secure facility with chain link fencing surrounding the property.  However, exhibitors are reminded that birdhouses will be installed outdoors in a nature preserve.  Works will be subject to wind, rain, sun and severe weather, not to mention an occasional "avian guano bombing" by one of our resident "fly-bys" such as songbirds, hawks, or Canada Geese.  Also, most birdhouses are displayed within reach of visitors, and the trail is not monitored.  By entering the exhibition, the exhibitor accepts responsibility for displaying his or her birdhouse under these conditions. Works are not insured, and the Ogden Nature Center accepts no responsibility for loss, theft or damage.

Sponsors

Huge thanks to our generous sponsors who make this competition and exhibit possible: Jeremiah's Restaurant, Wasatch Audubon Society, Ogden River Dental, Pat & Glen Richter, Jack & Jodi Livingood, Robin & Brad Farr Family, The Prairie Schooner, Ogden Blue, Intermountain Farmer’s Association, and Shepherd's Bush.