Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre will be auctioning small wooden birdhouses to help pay for a much-larger wooden barn during a fundraiser April 12 at the Napanee Golf and Country Club.
NDSS woodworking students and local crafters from across the region have donated their birdhouse creations for the event, which also doubles as a judged competition. Prizes will be awarded to the best entries, which will then be auctioned to the highest bidder.
“They’re brand new birdhouses that people in the community are creating,” explained Janelle Tulloch, event organizer. “There’s different age groups, we have a children’s age category, youth, adult and senior.”
Along with the local high school creating entries as part of their curriculum, several members of the public have also crafted their own creation to help the cause which should make for plenty of variety during the auction.
Those in attendance will also have a chance to cast their ballot for their favourite house.
“Some of the entries voted on would be best to scale of a historical model, best to scale of a structure, most original and also best in show,” added Tulloch.
Napanee Beaver cartoonist Tim Nimigan will trade his pen for a gavel and serve as the evening’s auctioneer.
The voting will get underway at 6:30 p.m. with the auction taking place at 7:30 p.m. All members of the public are welcome to take part in the bidding.
The event is part of an ongoing effort by the wildlife rehabilitation centre to rebuild following a fire that gutted a barn in early January. Staff are hoping to make the most of the tragic fire by building a barn that will be better suited for its aquatic bird animal rescues.