Plane tree from Budatín is the proud holder of the title „The Tree of the Year 2016“

The winner of public inquiry „The tree of the Year 2016“ became plane tree from Budatín with 2488 votes. He will be representing Slovakia in the competition „The European Tree of the year“. The second place is held by basswood which grows in Spišské Bystré. The third place goes to horse chestnut from Malý Cetín. The ranking of the 12 trees that would be in the finals was decided by a record breaking number of 19 285 votes.

In 2016 the 14th inquiry has been organised by the Ekopolis foundation in cooperation with the main partners Foundation of Slovenská sporiteľňa and Slovak environment agency. The inquiry was also supported by ISA Slovakia (Medzinárodná arboristická spoločnosť), publishing house Dajama, bookshop Artforum and by garden-husbandry ABIES. The patron of this inquiry is for the fifth time in a row the singer Peter Lipa. The main legacy of the inquiry is to point out the old, precious or endangered species od trees and to raise awareness in environmental surrounding in people.

„The symbiosis with nature is a necessary presumption of next progress. Trees play an important part, they are the symbol of force, strength and stability. Our Foundation of,Slovenká sporiteľňa, has been directing its attention to environmental problems for a long time. We see the cooperation with the Ekopolis foundation in the inquiry „The Tree of the Year“ as very successful and we are happy to see the public participating in voting. Beautiful trees in Slovakia should have our attention and protection “ said Danica Lacová, the manager of the Foundation of Slovenská sporiteľňa.

Slovak environment agency whose activity is focused on maintenance of environment and formation of country in accords with principles of long term sustainable development, is this year partner of the inquiry „The tree of the Year“. As Martin Lakanda mentioned, CEO of SEA: „Here in SEA, we are especially happy that through the inquiry a lot of attention goes to matter of taking care of woody plants, which participate in the diversity of countryside and which have enormous influence on quality of human life. Many times we realise only after the announcement of results, how precious trees grow in our surrounding and how big is their ecological, countryformal, aesthetical, cultural and historical value, and how they can be hurt by human interventions, climate changes and polluted air “

Public voting about the winner of the inquiry started on July 7th 2016 during the festival Pohoda in Trenčín and remained till the end of september 2016. Everyone could vote for their tree, through SMS, by voting paper, by poste or directly on the website www.ekopolis.sk and www.facebook.com/nadacia.ekopolis.

The winning plane tree from Budatín will receive reward in a form of a dendrological opinion from ISA Slovakia and financial contribution for treatment in amount of 300 euros. Trees that took the second and the third place in the inquiry, will receive as well financial contribution in the amount of 300 euros, which will be used on their treatment. Three nominating people and three people tha voted will be rewarded by book cheque from the bookshop Artforum.

It is already the second year that the competition was going on between schools that had collected the biggest amount of voting papers. First three schools will be rewarded by material for forest planting worth 500 euros by garden-husbandry ABIES. Primary school Radvanská from Banská Bystrica had collected record breaking 958 voting papers and thanks to this number she took the first place and received the material for forest planting worth 250 euros. The second place with the material for forest planting worth 150 euros as price was taken by primary school Základná škola Karpatská from Žilina. Stredná priemyselná škola stavebná from Žilina ended up on the third place and received a cheque and the material for forest planting worth 100 euros.

Results of the inquiry „The tree of the Year“

Number of tree	Name of tree	Location	Number of votes	Ranking
11.	Copper beech	Hermanovce	1297	11.
2.	European turkey oak	Šurianky	1451	6.
5.	Field maple	Kokošovce	1013	12.
7.	Golden weeping willow	Nižná Myšľa	1725	5.
9.	Horse chesnut	Malý Cetín	1929	3.
1.	Cherry-tree	Lehota pod Vtáčnikom	1414	8.
12.	Kumoi asian pear	Lovčica-Trubín	1386	9.
4.	Lime tree	Cigeľ	1804	4.
6.	London plane tree	Budatín	2488	1.
10.	Plane tree	Tornaľa	1299	10.
3.	Small-leaved lime tree	Spišské Bystré	2034	2.
8.	Small-leaved lime tree	Smrdáky	1445	7.

 

Stories of the winning trees

1.place – London plane tree (Planeus hispanica)

Budatín, the Žilina district, location: park near the castle of Budatín, age: 270 years, circuit: 603 cm, height: 27 m

Plane tree is the highest of plane trees in the Castle park in Budatín on the confluence of the most important rivers Kysuca and Váh. It was founded during the reign of Count Ján Suňog in 1745. The main gardener and creator of this Castle park was Ján František Roder from Silesia. Near this large healthy tree grows another plane tree, but this one is small, sick and hollow. Two plane trees growing together as two different brothers however their roots are inseparably bound together.

 2.place – Small-leaved lime tree (Tilia cordata)

Spišské Bystré, the Poprad district, location: in south-eastern part of new cemetery, age: 200 years, circuit: 597 cm, height: 17 m

The existence of this beautiful lime tree is connected to history of village, to the lifestyle and mindset of ancestors, who had already appreciated trees in since pagan age. This lime tree is one the last four borderline lime trees that have been marking the borders of the cemetery. The cemetery was founded on parish estate after the big flood in 1813, that had destroyed the old cemetery. In the past it was a frequent habit to plant borderline trees for securing evident and strong borders of estates.

3.place – Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L)

Malý Cetín, the Nitra district, location: in the park next to the church, age: 165 years, circuit: 307 cm, height: 20 m

In the past, there was a park under the horse chestnut, where children were playing, elders were meeting each other, even festivities were taking place there, and everybody was dancing under this tree. Maybe we can say there is not a single couple that wouldn’t have a date there and there is not a single girl that wouldn’t get a kiss under this horse chestnut. Even though every year it blooms beautifully, it has never had conkers. People are gossiping that it’s because it is missing its soul mate or friend – the nearest horse chestnuts are 200 or 300 metres away.

 

Contacts: Milan Hronec, program manager of the Ekopolis Foundation, 0911 452 457, hronec@ekopolis.sk.