This year, 16 competitors were selected to win the national competitions, presented from across Europe. Among them is also a candidate from Poland – the oak “Dunin”, which is called the Guardian of the Białowiea Forest.

In 2011, a competition was launched in the Czech Republic, which developed across the continent as the “European Tree of the Year”. The winners of the national stages participate in the continental final. This year, among 16 other contenders, there is also a candidate from Poland – oak “Dinin”, which is called Guardian of the Biaowiea Forest.

Competitions of this type have been going on for 12 years. All over Europe, there are searches for trees with the most interesting stories. Voting continues until February 28, 2022. Each voter chooses two of his or her candidates from among all 16 candidates. He sees his and previous voting results instantly. However, last week (Feb 22-28), the vote was secret. This means that you will not be able to find the current number of votes on the site.

The aim of this year’s European Tree Contest, its authors claim, is to draw attention to ancient trees of interest as an important natural and cultural heritage that we must value and protect. In this year’s European Tree Contest, unlike other competitions, the deciding factor is not beauty, size or age, but history and the relationships between trees and humans. We are looking for trees that have become an integral part of society. Trees are essential to our lives and are an important link between the past, present and future. It cools the summer heat, helps to take a deep breath and stabilizes the climate. Therefore, we must protect them and take care of them.

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The winner will be announced on March 22nd during a festive party. You can vote online. Subscription is free. The organizer of this year’s European Tree Contest is the Environmental Partnership Association (EPA), and the course in Poland is coordinated by environmental experts from Club Gaga.

The hanging oak tree “Denin”, which won the 2021 National Tree Contest, with nearly 7,500 votes, grew in the village of Przybodki in the Nario municipality of Podlasie. Polish competitors have already stood on the podium in the European competition three times. In 2017, Oak Józef z Wiśniowa won the European Tree of the Year title in the Podkarpacie region. Four years ago, the plane tree from Kosi near Bielsko-Biała took second place, and in 2014, the Wipiky oak of Bodomin in Pomerania took third place. The winner will also be chosen by netizens this time. Legend has it that the ‘Denin’ was left where it grew, to show where the Białowiea Forest had reached.