A tree of the year?

For those that follow my blog you know that I have a great love of trees, and so it was with delight this week when I found out that there is an annual “Tree of the Year” competition in Europe. Each country in Europe is able to nominate one tree from which a tree is chosen as the tree of the year.The judging doesn't focus on beauty, size or age but rather on the tree's story and its connection to people. Past winners have included a 2000 year old olive tree, a Scots pine that has been home to an Osprey’s nest for 24 years, and this year an oak tree that grows in the middle of a football field! You can see them all here .

I’m hoping to get some support to go to Europe and the USA to get a better understanding of how comunities there value their trees, something which I think we could do better in Australia. Maybe we could have our own Tree of the Year competition here in Australia?

Meanwhile I’ll think about what trees might be worthy of such an award. Here are a couple for starters. Check out my blog index for more on wonderful trees.

This incredible old redgum is in the campground at Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Rangers. As far as I can work out is goes completely unnoticed by virtually all the campers. It is still very much alive and growing.

It's difficult to imagine how many Perth residents, and visitors to this city, must have stood by this wonderful avenue of lemon-scented gums and looked out across the city and the river. Hopefully hey haven't failed to take in the beauty of the trees right in front of their eyes.