The apple tree from Bošáca is the proud owner of the title Tree of The Year 2017

 The winner of the inquiry Tree of The Year has became the apple tree from Bošáca and it is going to represent Slovakia in the competition European Tree of The Year. The second place has been taken by the pine tree growing in Hlohovec. The third place goes to the plane tree from Sereď. Record number of 23 370 votes decided about the chart of twelve competing trees.

The Ekopolis Foundation in cooperation with the main partner who is The Foundation of Slovenská sporiteľňa, organised the 15th volume of the inquiry during the year 2017. The inquiry was also supported by ISA Slovakia (International society of arboriculture), the publishing house Dajama, the bookshop Artforum and the garden-husbandry ABIES. The patron of the inquiry is for the sixth year the signer Peter Lipa. The message of the inquiry is to highlight old, precious or endangered trees and to raise interest of people in the environment.

“It is amazing, that in this year we counted record number of voting people. People are more and more aware of the necessity to protect our natural treasure. Our foundation is trying to support interesting projects because we realise that it is exactly awareness and education which are one of the most significant pillars of sustainability and development of quality environment,” says Danica Lacová, manager of The Foundation of Slovenská sporiteľňa. .

The winning apple tree from Bošáca will receive a reward in form of the dendrological report by ISA Slovakia and financial contribution for condition treatment worth of 300 euros. Trees that took place on the second and third place will also obtain financial contribution worth of 300 euros, money will be used for their treatment. Three nominees and three voters will be rewarded as well, by book vouchers from the bookshop Artforum.

 This is the third year during which there was a competition running among schools with the biggest number of voting ballots. First three schools will receive a planting material by the garden-husbandry ABIES worth of 500 euros. Primary school Radvanská in Banská Bystrica collected record number of 446 voting ballots, thanks to that they ended up in the first place and obtained the planting material worth of 250 euros. The second place with the planting material worth of 150 euros went to kindergarten and primary school from Horné Otrokovce. The third place was taken by the primary school of J.A.Komenský from Sereď and they obtained a voucher for the planting material worth of 100 euros.

 

Results of the inquiry Tree of The Year 2017:

n	name	location	number of votes	ranking
1.	Sweet chestnut	Hradište, region of Poltár	963	10.
2.	Oriental plane tree	Jelka, region of Galanta	2055	4.
3.	Common alder	Uňatín, region of Krupina	429	11.
4.	Common oak	Želiezovce, region of Levice	1586	7.
5.	American plane tree	Sereď, region of Galanta	2203	3.
6.	Large leaf linden	Jabloňovce, region of Levice	1709	5.
7.	Scots pine	Hlohovec, region of Hlohovec	2471	2.
8.	Apple tree	Bošáca, region of Nové Mesto nad Váhom	7303	1.
9.	Common oak	Kráľovce-Krnišov, region of Krupina	1532	8.
10.	Aspen	Sedliská, region of Vranov nad Topľou	224	12.
11.	Apple tree	Babinec, region of Rimavská Sobota	1632	6.
12.	Turkey oak	Pozba, region of Nové Zámky	1263	9.

 

Stories of winning trees:

1.place

 Tree n.8 – Apple tree, variety Citrónové zimné Zabudišovské (Malus domestica, Borkh.)

Bošáca, region of Nové Mesto nad Váhom

Location: cadastral territory of village Bošáca, local area of the village Zabudišová

Age: 120 years old, perimetry: 251 cm, height: 13 m

The ancient apple tree is the memory of wandering growers, who are no longer among us, but their trees grow and actually produce fruits event after hundred years. The apple tree is situated on the edge of the road and so it can make passers-by happy with spring flowers, summer shadow and apples, that will last in cellar until the next summer. It is not very known but very precious forgotten regional variety. Today, the tree is a beautiful torso and it has astonishing internal vitality, it constantly replace lost parts with life and the strength of shoots indicates that it will reach them into the sky for a long time. When we sit into its shadow, we can take its knowledge how to not give up and face up life challenges.

 2.place

Tree n.7 – Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Hlohovec, region of Hlohovec

Location: castle park near the mansion in Hlohovec

Age: 120 years old, perimetry: 330 cm, height: 22 m

In the castle park, which is registered as a national cultural monument, we can find the largest plane grove in middle Europe and it is possible, that the largest in the whole Europe. The scots pine is one of the few preserved conifers and it is the oldest conifer in the park. According to records, but also according to local people, the majority of conifers was cut down during the World War II. when their wood was used to build a temporary bridge across the river Váh. Considering the history and the cut down of 1557 trees for the bridge, we can identify it as the “tree that survived”.

 3. place

Tree n.5 American plane tree (Platanus occidentalis L.)

Sereď, region of Galanta

Location: castle park in Sereď

Age: 21 years old, perimetry: 460 cm, height: 30 m

Nominated plane tree located in the castle park in Sereď from earliest time fascinates all visitors of the park and the mansion in Sereď. This tree will ravish everybody with its beauty, height, age or nobleness and looking at it is definitely worth it. The plane tree was planted during the reign of the significant house Esterházi, when they were recreating the courtyard and moats in their baroque styled residence into the english type of park.

Photos:  https://tinyurl.com/Anketa2017

The author of photos is Martin Babarík (1975, Hrnčiarske Zalužany) – graphic designer, photographer, writer. Member of the Slovak syndicate of journalists. www.babarik.sk

Contacts: The Ekopolis Foundation,  Komenského 21, 974 01, Banská Bystrica,

Program manager Milan Hronec,  tel. 048 / 470 10 95,  0911 452 457, hronec@ekopolis.sk.