20th Anniversary of the Tree of the Year Poll: Discussions and Photo Exhibition – Celebrating a Milestone
On Thursday, July 21, the State Scientific Library in Banská Bystrica hosted events for experts and the public in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Tree of the Year poll. The focus was on explaining the importance and role of trees and greenery in non-forest areas and the significance of their protection. The anniversary also includes a photo exhibition of past poll winners, available to the public in the library’s atrium until September 2nd.
“We decided to mark the anniversary of the Tree of the Year poll with events highlighting the urgency of the climate crisis and the fact that quality urban greenery is an important measure to prepare the landscape for rising temperatures. Unfortunately, these measures still receive insufficient attention, and mature trees are missing in many places. The Trees of the Year often exemplify the kind of greenery we need more of—beautiful, stand-alone trees in interesting locations. I hope we can continue to contribute to the presence of more such trees,” said Peter Medveď, director of Ekopolis, about the event’s purpose.
The Thursday morning session was dedicated to experts, corporate sector representatives, and public administration. They discussed about why we should plant trees and the societal benefits. An afternoon panel discussion hosted speakers in the field of climate adaptation, exploring why Slovakia invests time and effort into preserving old trees in communities and cultural landscapes, the link between climate change and trees, the challenges ahead, and what has proven effective so far. The day concluded with an exhibition opening featuring photos of past Tree of the Year winners in the library atrium.
During the conference, speakers from public administration, municipalities, and the business sector shared insights. Topics included carbon and water reserves in the landscape, presented by Martin Kováč, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; agroforestry systems, presented by Jaroslav Jankovič; and tree care and greenery management, discussed by arborist Jaroslav Kolařík from the Czech Republic. The discussions focused on explaining the concepts of mitigation and landscape adaptation in response to the negative impacts of climate change. The new initiative “Planting the Future,” launched by the foundation, was also introduced by Martina Paulíková, along with Júlia Kopčanová Pittnerová, representing the general partner GLS General Logistics Systems Slovakia s.r.o.
The Tree of the Year poll is currently open, with voting underway for the 12 finalist trees competing for the 2022 title. The public can vote until the end of September, using an official voting form included in the summer edition of the magazine “Krásy Slovenska”. Votes can also be cast via SMS, on the website www.ekopolis.sk, or on Facebook.
The main partner is the Slovenská sporiteľňa Foundation. Additional partners include ISA Slovakia (International Arborist Society), Dajama Publishing, Artforum Bookstore, ABIES Garden Center, and Terrabike. The patron of the poll for over 10 years is the well-known singer Peter Lipa.