THE TREE OF THE YEAR Lucas Riera · Olivia Holden
Introduction
In spring, the jury publishes the name of the winning tree. The whole town celebrates because, during the following year, thousands and thousands of naturalists and responsible tourists will come to admire the winning tree, as well as the shortlisted ones.
Every year, villages with a tree that is particularly interesting because of its age, its history and what it has meant for the town, enter the “Tree of the Year” competition. Then, for a few months, every tree lover can look at the photos of all the candidates and read their stories... and then vote for their favourite.
The idea of choosing one tree every year and giving it the title of “Tree of the Year” was born in the Czech Republic, just over 10 years ago, and has proved so popular that it has crossed borders. It has long been organised through many European countries, and is now spreading to other continents, such as Asia and America.
With the stories you will read here, you will realise that trees are part of the village, and that many people’s stories would not be the same without that tree.
This book introduces you to a variety of trees, but also to a lot of people: travellers, aristocrats, children, witches, etc., from all over the world: Spain, France, Russia, China, Czech Republic, Croatia, etc.
Perhaps, after reading this book, you will think of a tree in your village, a tree that could well have, next year, the honour of becoming “Tree of the Year.”
The shortlisted and winning trees may not be the tallest nor the slenderest, but they certainly have the most personality and the best relations with their community.
The purpose of this original and festive competition is very clear: to get people closer to nature and to foster their love of trees, not only as living beings but also as members of a community.
The village of Chudobín was built long ago in a fertile and beautiful valley. Its inhabitants were farmers and shepherds; their life was not very easy, but it was no more complicated than that of the other villages. Until one day the authorities decided to build a dam in the valley. This meant flooding the whole village: houses, farms, school, church, everything would be under water. The poor inhabitants of Chudobín could do nothing to change that decision, and had to abandon their homes, which were flooded in the dam known as Vír. They fled in search of another place to live. All of them? No, not all of them, the old centenary pine tree did not want to leave and settled at one end of the mountain, so that, today, when the water level is high, it looks like a pine tree raised above the water. of the
AGE: 350 YEARS SPECIES: SCOTS PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS) REGION: CHUDOBÍN, CZECH REPUBLIC
The Guardian
FloodedVillage
ofThispinewasthewinnertheTreeoftheYear2020.
Legend has it that when the pine tree became the sole guardian of the village, a legendary and unreal devil sat at its feet and hidden in the shadows, played the flute for hours. This magnificent pine tree is also a symbol and a message about the resilience of trees to climate change and human actions.
Over the years, the seeds grew into a gigantic poplar tree that spreads its branches around, providing shade and shelter. It is the only tree your eyes can see. It looks like a refuge in the middle of nowhere. All travellers on horseback passing by stop under the tree, exchange greetings and water, and make their wishes to the tree, which are certainly always granted. Poplar
A Buddhist monk travelled the world. Once, after returning from the Himalaya mountains of Tibet, he stopped on a hilltop in the middle of the Russian steppe on his way back to Europe. There he looked at the incredible landscape, took a deep breath, rummaged in his pockets for some seeds, turned over the soil and planted them with the help of his traveller’s stick, which he stuck into the ground.
The Lonely
AGE: 103 YEARS SPECIES: LAUREL-LEAFED POPLAR (POPULUS LAURIFOLIA) REGION: HAR-BULUK, TSELINNY DISTRICT, KALMYKIA, RUSSIA
AGE: 130 YEARS SPECIES: BEECH (FAGUS SYLVATICA) REGION: BLADEL, THE NETHERLANDS
If there is one tree in the real world that looks like something out of a horror story, it is the Witch Tree of Bladel. When mist descends over the forest, this hundred-year-old beech seems to stretch its fingers over the earth, to shelter bandits and evildoers. Its roots are reluctant to go underground.
The WitchTree
Today, children between the ages of 10 and 12 visit the site of this tree with their school, and even today they still feel a slight tremor in their legs when they hear about the adventures of old Black Kate.
It is said that the peasants of the village used to gather around the tree to tell stories. One of the most terrifying speaks of a woman called Black Kate, whom everyone considered to be an evil witch. She had small raven eyes and a sharp nose like a hawk. She was scary to behold. She used her terrifying appearance to lead a group of smugglers and robbers, whom the authorities did not dare to catch. Every night they met secretly under the tree to plan their crimes.
Although there are no papers to prove it, all the villagers think that lightning broke its trunk (you can still see the burnt parts) but could not kill it: new trunks were born on the back of this imaginary bird, and now it looks like a bird with a great weight of branches and leaves on its back.
The greatest feature of this Corsican cork oak is its shape: depending on where you look at it from, it looks like a bird! It makes you feel like you can crawl inside its body to protect yourself.
TheBird-Tree
It is the symbol of the struggle for life: even if something goes wrong you must continue with your life and try to do better: if you do, you shall win.
AGE: 200-230 YEARS SPECIES: CORK OAK (QUERCUS SUBER) REGION: Corsica, FRANCE
This linden or lime tree, which has been flourishing in the village of Leliceni in Romania for more than 500 years, has the honour of being the first Tree of the Year ever. The first competition was held just over 10 years ago and this lime tree won.
Legend has it that if an enemy shot at its trunk, the bullet would bounce off the wood and wound whoever has tried to harm it.
Although its merits begin many centuries ago: the linden tree was the meeting place for the villagers, who decided important matters in its shade. The custom is still maintained today, the only thing that has changed are the wooden benches that surround its trunk.
Perhaps the hardest ordeal the linden tree has ever experienced was the great drought, which lasted 17 months: imagine, for a year and a half not a single drop of water fell on the village. Rivers, ponds and reservoirs dried up, and the people of Leliceni had to flee to avoid starvation.
The Leliceni linden tree has endured many wars and misfortunes, such as the time when the Tartars raided and destroyed the village, but could not defeat the tree.
LinLeliceniindenTreeAGE:500YEARSSPECIES:LINDENTREE(TILIA CORDATA) REGION: LELICENI, ROMANIA
When he settled in Dubrovnik, the first thing he did was to plant those seeds very close to a fountain, so that their roots could find water and grow. Of the five seeds, two survived, and one of them has become one of the largest banana trees in Europe. The villagers immediately took a liking to the tree, which provided good shade.
First the Turkish invaders, then Napoleon’s army and finally the Russian troops... imagine the number of wars and battles that the poor plane tree had to resist, yet it never stopped growing, surviving all battles and giving shade to all those who wanted to rest under its branches.
Five centuries ago, young captain Florio Jakob Antunov was returning from faraway lands, where he had been kept for years because of the war. Near the city of Constantinople, he had an idea: to remember the land where he had spent so many years, he took five tiny banana seeds.
DubrovnikinTreePlaneThe
AGE: ABOUT 500 YEARS SPECIES: ORIENTAL PLANE TREE (PLATANUS ORIENTALIS L.) REGION: DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
The most curious thing is that the holm oak, despite its age, is younger than ever and does not stop growing in height and width: its branches twist and grow longer every year.
For its age, its will to live and for being a meeting point, the Carrasca de Lecina was named Tree of the Year 2021.
Lecina is a tiny village, now inhabited by 13 people in total, located in the mountains of Aragon in Spain. On the outskirts, not far from the houses, the village’s holm oak has been growing for 1,000 years.
Legend has it that the witches of Aragon, when they had to gather for a special celebration, chose this refuge to be together.
theCarrasca of Lecina
AGE: 1,000 YEARS SPECIES: HOLM OAK (QUERCUS ILEX L.) REGION: LECINA, HUESCA, SPAIN
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