FishHawk Ranch Goes to the Birds During Spring Parade of Homes

FishHawk Ranch is going to the birds for a good cause.

The community has launched its first-ever collaborative contest pairing homebuilders with local children to construct six birdhouses.

During the contest, local elementary, middle and high school students worked with FishHawk Ranch homebuilders to design the most creative, vote-worthy birdhouse for an award of $1,000 for their school from FishHawk Ranch.

Beginning today, March 15, the birdhouses will be on display at the information center, 15921 Courtside View Dr., Lithia, and will stay open for voting through the annual Spring Parade of Homes. Residents and members of the surrounding communities are asked to pick their favorite roosts by voting in person or online at the FishHawk Ranch Facebook page.

“The deep connection between the community and nature is cherished in FishHawk Ranch,” said Rick Harcrow, senior vice president of operations for Newland Communities. “This is a great opportunity for our builders to work together with our residents and local children to showcase their creativity and promote appreciation for the wildlife around FishHawk Ranch.”

Although only one team will win $1,000, all teams will be considered winners and will have their birdhouses on display throughout the trails in FishHawk Ranch.

The six contributing teams include and Cardel Homes; and Ryland Homes; Elementary School and Beazer Homes, and David Weekley Homes, and Arthur Rutenberg Homes; and the FishHawk Youth Sports Association baseball travel team and Ashton Woods Homes.

The 2012 Parade of Homes, sponsored by the Tampa Bay Builders Association, will be held in FishHawk Ranch Saturday, March 17 through Sunday, April 1. A total of 16 model homes will be on display.

The Showcase Home for the parade will be in FishHawk Ranch this year. Built by Homes by WestBay in the Starling neighborhood, the model home is located at 5311 Sanderling Ridge Dr. and contains more than 4,000 square feet of living space with a Hollywood-style infinity pool.

The home includes the newest technology, enabling the homeowner to control everything from the temperature to lighting and security with a smart phone.

To learn more about the Showcase Home, visit www.westbaytampa.com or call 813-842-8191.

To see virtual tours of each model in the parade, visitfishhawkranch.com/preview.

To learn more about this year's Parade of Homes, visit tampabayparadeofhomes.com.