Local girl wins contest

Central Oregon Eagle Watch declared 12-year-old Emily Bourdage, a sixth-grade student at Black Butte School in Camp Sherman, first-place winner in her age group for an original watercolor of a peregrine falcon.

Bourdage lives in Sisters and has been enthusiastic about art since she was 4 years old. She's also interested in music and is in the guitar class at Black Butte School.

This year was the fourth annual Eagle Watch Celebration Art Contest open to all Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook county students (fourth through 12th grade). All participants created original artwork of bald or golden eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures, or owls.

Eagle Watch, a Culver tradition since 1996, celebrated a love for birds of prey last weekend at Round Butte Overlook Park and The Cove Palisades State Park. The free celebration honors eagles and other raptors that live in the Lake Billy Chinook area. The event is hosted by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), Portland General Electric (PGE), and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

Event coordinator and OPRD Park Ranger, Erin Bennett, hatched the idea of an art contest four years earlier to involve younger folks.

"We had 65 art entries this year," Bennett said. "And a couple of new categories including a technical category. We added Microsoft PowerPoint for students who felt they weren't artistic enough to paint or draw."

The art contest is Bennett's favorite part of the Eagle Watch Celebration.

Eagle Watch is a perfect event for the entire family to learn about birds of prey.

Camp Sherman residents Kathy and Rod Bourdage, Emily Bourdage's grandparents, have volunteered for the event for two years.

"Families tell us they look forward to the event each year," Kathy Bourdage told The Nugget. "It's fun, educational and free."