Treat the Birds, Bats & Butterflies at Kingsbrae Garden's B-B-Birdfest!

Online, February 9, 2010 (Newswire.com) - For Immediate Release
Contact: Maureen McIlwain
Phone: 506-529-9024
Cell: 506-469-1024
[email protected]

Birds are being bumped from their homes as their wild habitat is swallowed up to build more homes for people. Kingsbrae Garden invites you to help, by entering its B-B-Birdfest contest this summer, for Birds, Bats and Butterflies. It's going to be b-b-beautiful. Registration fee is $25 to your local food bank for each bat, butterfly or birdhouse. Prize packages - and bird seed - for the top entries, as well as monetary donations in the winners' names to the Charlotte County Volunteer Centre and Food Bank (or winner's designated food bank).

Young, youngish or not-so-young... put on your favourite feathered cap and create a home for any of the b-b-before-mentioned wild creatures. Kingsbrae Garden has over 65 varieties of birds that either nest or shelter at Kingsbrae Garden during their migration. Four are identified as being in particular need: Wrens, Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins and Black-capped Chickadees. There are fun and functional categories, both adult and youth divisions. Or, if you prefer, devise a dwelling for Bats or Butterflies.

Registration begins immediately and closes May 31st, 2010; entries to be delivered to Kingsbrae Garden Visitors Centre, top of King Street, St Andrews by-the-Sea (New Brunswick), from June 14th to 20th, between 10am and 5pm. The exhibit opens on Canada Day, July 1st, along with other exciting events at Kingsbrae Garden and around town. B-B-Birdfest entries will become the property of Kingsbrae Garden. For more information, email: [email protected]

Atlanticade is coming to St Andrews for Canada Day, June 30th to July 4th, so there could be a motorcycle-themed birdhouse in the lineup, or a woodburning artist might want to inscribe their favourite bike as a roof decoration. With thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts in town, it's bound to be a rousing good time! The opportunities to have fun with this are limitless. Kingsbrae Garden is all about 'green', so a recycling/ecological theme would be welcome, or maybe an alpaca, peacock or goat design, inspired by Kingsbrae Garden's mushrooming menagerie. In line with the Kingsbrae Garden 2nd annual National Sculpture Competition, you could let your artistic muse loose with a whimsically sculpted creation.

On New Brunswick Day, August 2, 2010, winners of the B-B-B-irdfest contest will be announced at Kingsbrae Garden's "Flocktail Party"*; everyone is invited. All contest entrants will receive two day passes to Kingsbrae Garden to come back for Flocktails, games and fun. The first 50 children at the party will receive a fancy flowerpot cupcake. The winning Bird-Bat-Butterfly houses will remain at the Garden to be displayed throughout the 27-acre site, in the Bird & Butterfly Garden and elsewhere. In early October, the remainder will be donated to the Volunteer Centre and Food Bank of Charlotte County, to be auctioned off at a fundraising dinner. All entrants will be helping to feed the hungry... birds, bats, butterflies, neighbours and families facing hard times.

*with thanks to the Toronto Botanical Garden for kind permission to use 'Flocktail' from their 2009 birdhouse contest celebration.

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