Bird Fest/Bird Quest 2025: Students’ artwork highlighted through chamber, SHS, Dungeness River Nature Center effort

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 28, 2025

The Sequim-Dungeness Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Sequim High School Ceramics classes led by Carmen Maxwell and the Dungeness River Nature Center, held their Bird Fest/Bird Quest events during April, and winners for the 2025 events were chosen in early May.

The Bird Quest portion of the event is a scavenger hunt for artwork created by students in Ms. Maxwell’s classes, all sculptures of different kinds of birds. Some fantastic, some realistic, the sculptures are displayed in businesses from Carlsborg to Gardiner. Game cards are distributed at all participating locations, and shoppers are encouraged to find the birds in each location.

“The Bird Quest is a wonderful way to show local students the value of their work. It is their art that drives customers into stores that they may not have otherwise visited,” said Beth Pratt, executive director of the Sequim Chamber. “It was a pleasure to get a chance to visit each of Ms. Maxwell’s classes this year to thank the students for their hard work and creativity.”

Each year, 20 bird sculptures are displayed across the region, but many more are created. The flock of additional birds were on display at the Visitor Information Center, to the delight of the many guests who came through during the Bird Quest game.

As the game cards matching the sculptures to their locations are completed, they are entered into a drawing for a prize basket that includes a one-year membership to the Audubon Society.

Winners of the Bird Quest People’s Choice Awards for 2025 were Lily Tjemsland for Elegant Easter, Clare Turella for Kiwi the Kiwi, and Abby Brown for Spotted Sandpiper.