This past weekend marked Bay Island Bonsai’s 16th annual exhibit. As I remember the plans that went into the first exhibit, it’s hard to believe that so many of these events have come to pass. A lot has changed over the years, but a few elements have remained the same – we rely on the contributions of BIB members, we rely on Boon for making everything come together, and we rely on our guests who make the effort to visit and join in the fun. To all who participated, thank you!

From the start, we’ve included the evaluation of bonsai as a key element of the exhibit. We see this as an educational opportunity for members. Rather than leave the judging to the experts, the members evaluate the trees on display and decide which trees to recognize. It’s somewhat of a final exam after a year of practicing bonsai display in club meetings.

The parameters for judging are simple. At BIB exhibits, trees may not be shown two years in a row, and winning trees are not eligible for judging for the next five years. Members select their top pics from several candidate trees in each class and the votes are tallied.

Here then are the trees that received Members’ Choice Awards at Bay Island Bonsai’s 16th annual exhibit, starting off with a small sized Chinese elm, one of my favorite trees in the exhibit.