The oak tree from Little Pest has become the Tree of the year 2020
As many as 24 839 votes have decided on final three winners in this year´s contest The Tree of the year 2020. The overall winner has become an ancient oak tree from Drnava. It has received 5246 votes. Moreover this tree will represent Slovak republic in the European tree of the year contest (V AJ preferujeme „contest“ pred „survey“). The second place belongs to the Large-leaved Lime in Štitáre which stands by the Church of Sv. Imrich. It has received 3191 votes. The well-desired third place belongs to Small – leaved lime in a village Zákamenné. It has received 3105 votes. The winners will also receive prizes to the value of 300 E on dendrology assessment and treatement; or maintaing surronding green spaces. These activities will be carried out by ISA Slovakia.
„The entire course of contest and even the result announcement have been marked this year by COVID 19 preventive measures. We have officially announced the results online and we have not just awarded trees but also the four winning schools. We have tried to describe everything in short to our supporters what we had achieved to do throughout the constest despite of the restrictions of the pandemic“, says Martina Ragalová from the Ekopolis foundation which organizes the contest. As a perfect example we can mention a plantation of generic avenue in Kopčany. „Our contest celebrated its 18th birthday by carrying out the plantation of generic avenue in Kopčany. We had also announced a competition for collecting votes for schools for the fourth time within our contest. We would like to congratulate four winning schools this year. They will obtain planting material to the total value of 600 E to mantain their school premises. The planting material is provided by Garden Centre ABIES. The four winning schools are: Primary school in Moskovska street in Banska Bystrica; Primary school J.Fandlyho in Sereď; Primary school Karpatska in Žilina. „We have awarded Primary school A.Bagara in Trenčianske Teplice in a separated category where not the number of votes have decided but the willingness to participate was enormous“ says Peter Medveď, the director of Ekopolis Foundation. „We have as usual prepared awards of book tokens by Artforum bookshop for three nominates and three voters. We have also prepared small gifts for the winners of the concomitant competition Tour de Strom“, adds Ragalová.
The main partner of the contest is Slovenska Sporiteľňa Foundation and our contest has taken place for eighteen times thanks to them. The Tree of year was also supported by ISA Slovakia (International Society of ARBORiculture); publishing house Dajama; bookshop Artforum; garden centre ABIES and Terrabike). The singer Peter Lipa has been the benefactor of the contest for the ninth year. The aim of the contest is to draw attention to old, ancient or endangered trees. At the same time we would like to arouse interest in environment among people.
The stories of the winning trees
The first place: Pedunculate oak tree from Drnava
Type: Pedunculate oak tree Latin name: Quercus robur
Age: 700 years Circumference: 528 cm Height: 14 m
Locality: Drnava District: Rožňava Region: Košický
Ancient oak tree from Little Pest
The ancient oak tree is located in the former premises of famous iron and steel works of Count Andrassy. In the former premises of the famous iron and steel works constructional parts of the famous Chain Bridge Lanchíd in Budapest were produced in the 40th years of the 19th century. Therefore the village deserved a nickname „Kis Pest“ – Little Pest. Nowadays this Ancient oak tree belongs to one of the stopover in the educative path Treasures of Drnava which goes through the village. Moreover this Ancient oak tree returns visitors to the memorable mining period.
The oak tree has belonged to the essential symbols of the village for various generations. It stands on the old trade road. The first mention of the Ancient oak tree in the village chronicle is from the year 1670. Nowadays tourists goes around it on a daily basis who want to visit the beauties of Zádieľska tiesňava.
The second place: Large – leaved Lime in Štitár
Type: Large – leaved Lime Latin name: Tilia Platyphyllos
Age: 350 years Circumference: 530 cm Height: 15 m
Locality: village Štitáre pri Kostole District: Nitra Region: Nitrianský
Large – leaved Lime by Church of Saint Imrich
A village Štitáre is located in a historical road from Nitra to Hronský Beňadik on the southern side of Tribečské pohorie and below the mountain Žibrica. A Large – leaved Lime tree grows in the middle of the village Štitáre by the Church of Saint Imrich. It is officially 350 years old. However according to myths and chronicles it is even older. A count from Dolná Malanta had a chapel built in the 15th century. Nowadays a church stands there instead of the chapel. He also planted a lime because he wanted to give thanks for his daughter´s lives when horses which had been hinched, shied. This lime witnessed many prayers by many pilgrims and common people. Matej Korvín also prayed by this lime when he settled there in the year 1465 when he had expelled Hussites. With a time passing the chapel turned into a church and a little lime tree has grown into a majestic lime.
The third place: Small – leaved lime in Zakamenné
Type: Small – leaved lime Latin name: Tilia Cordata
Age: 150 years Circumference: 367 cm Height: 29 m
Locality: close to the Cultural Heritage Calvary, village Zákamenné
District: Námestovo Region: Žilinský
A lime of tears
A majestic lime which has been accompanying local people and their fates for six generations was probably planted in the year 1862. The lime firmly surronds a little chapel, one of the oldest calvaries in the region. It has been a silent witness of innumerable amount of fates. It has witness many tears of pain, many tears of joy, tears of gratitude which has sprinkled over this place of reverence. The lime has been indomitable to stay by a human being for the good and for the bad. Moreover, we human beings, we can consider it as a source of inspiration, especially in these hard times. Nowadays the premises of Calvary where this tree belongs to, is considered as the most popular place for relaxing and for enoying a spiritual life not only for the local people but also for visitors.