Public get to choose from a shortlist of 10 national contenders
(Nellie’s Tree, Aberford, Leeds)
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A quirky beech created over a century ago to woo a sweetheart that’s still a meeting point for lovers todayand an ancient oak from which rebels met a gory end - are just two of 10 contenders for this year’s Tree of the Year title!
The Woodland Trust’s annual competition, backed by TV’s resident gardener David Domoney, throws the spotlight on the nation‘s best trees to help drive up interest in their value and protection.
Whittled down from hundreds of nominations, a shortlist of ten trees is now up for the public vote. By going online at woodlandtrust.org.uk people can choose their favourite and crown England’s Tree of the Year for 2018.
- Wyndham’s Oak, Silton, Dorset
- The Old Electric Oak, Wickwar, Gloucestershire
- Verdun Horse Chestnut, St Albans
- The Bruce Castle Oak, Tottenham, London
- Eastern Preston Twin, Preston Park, Brighton
- The Quarr Abbey Oak, Ryde, Isle of Wight
- John Keats’s Mulberry, Hampstead, London
- Nellie’s Tree, Aberford, Leeds
- The Arbor Tree, Aston on Clun, Shropshire
- The Drunkard Rowan, Caldbeck, Cumbria
David Domoney, also an award winning horticulturalist, explained why he’s encouraging people to vote:
“The Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year contest is a fantastic way to get us all talking about trees and what they do for us. I’m a gardener so naturally I’m a fan, but of course we are all dependent on trees which still so often have to make way for us.
“So let’s celebrate the best. Vote for your favourite on the Woodland Trust’s website to crown England’s Tree of the Year for 2018. Among the final 10 in the running is a mulberry where Keats penned many of his masterpiece poems, and an oak from the Henry VIII era.”
The process is simple – the tree with the most votes wins. As well as putting the nation’s best trees on the map, the awards - supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery - offer a £1,000 tree care award for each winning tree.
Kaye Brennan, Lead Campaigner at the Woodland Trust said, “Stories have always grown on trees, and the trees on this year’s shortlist have some fascinating stories to tell! Easily overlooked and routinely undervalued, trees like these need their moment in the sun. One tree in the shortlist is a great case in point: over 800 years old, it would have disappeared from our landscape – and our memories - without the efforts of a landowner who had the will to keep it safe, for future generations. But only one can take the crown! Voting closes soon - and the tree with the most votes will win it.”
Sanjay Singh, Senior Programmes Manager with People’s Postcode Lottery said, “From botanical oddities to trees with historic connections or simply at the heart of their communities – these are great examples of trees which are cherished. I hope the competition will encourage more people to seek them out, enjoy them and vote for them. I am delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are supporting this celebration of the nation’s best loved trees.”
The Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year competition runs in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each country, thanks to the public vote, will have its own champion. Just one of the four national winners will be selected to represent the UK in the 2018 European Tree of the Year contest.
Take a closer look at the shortlist and vote for your favourite tree – at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/treeoftheyear . The website is open for entries from 9am on Monday, 17 September, voting ends on 7 October.
The competition is run in support of the Charter for Trees, Woods and People – an initiative that sets out 10 tree principles to embed in our society for a future where people and trees are stronger together. Find out more at treecharter.uk.
September 26 2018
