SLIDESHOW: See the entries in the Ogden Nature Center's Birdhouse Exhibit
Birdhouses made of metal, hiking boots and clay are the big winners in the 17th annual Birdhouse Exhibit at the Ogden Nature Center.
"Rustic Metal," a birdhouse made by Emily Johnson of Ogden, was named Best of Show during an awards ceremony Wednesday at the center.
"The judges loved the artistry of the metal work, and the presentation of the piece," said Brandi Bosworth, special projects coordinator for the center.
The Judge's Choice award went to "Bird on the Run," a Weber Pathways entry made by Alan Wheelwright of Eden, using old hiking boots.
"They liked the motion and placement of the elements, which made the boots look like they are actually on the run," Bosworth said.
"I made a bunch of different models, and figured out which one I liked best," said Wheelwright, who makes a living as a woodworker. "I don't know how feasible the birdhouse is. It's more aesthetic -- more for the avant-garde bird who's more concerned about the way things look than about practicality."
An honorable mention, the third of the top three awards, was given to Karl Haaser of Ogden's Outback Pottery, for his clay and wood birdhouse "Snowbirds Welcome."
First-place winners, by category, were: Imaginative/Artistic, "Burd Yurt" by Leslie Howa and Mark Huber of Park City; Best Use of Recycled Materials, "Bird Rocket" by the Mudrow family of Ogden; Unique Use of Materials, "Snow Bird Man" by Scot Spangler of Ogden; Form/Function, "Priceless Nature" by Willard's Ireland Hicks (and her father); Family and Recycling Fun, "My Treehouse" by Michael and Mindy Crawford of Ogden.
First place in the children's divisions were Form/Function, "Pop On In" by Cassidy Pfister of Roy; and Imaginative/Artistic, "Nature's Birdhouse" by YMCA After School students at Dee Elementary.
This year's competition was judged by Amy Adams, Randy Berger and Cara Koolmees.
Bosworth says the competition encourages artistic and handcrafted approaches to birdhouse design.
"We also really love to encourage the use of environmentally-friendly materials, and to teach the community different ways to attract wildlife to backyards," she said.
The birdhouse exhibit can be seen 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, through Aug. 31. Admission to the nature center, at 966 W. 12th St., is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, and $2 for ages 2-11. Nature Center members are admitted for free.
For more information, call (801) 621-7595.
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