European tree of the year is the ″ Guardian of the Flooded Village ″

The European Tree of the Year 2020 award was given to the “Guardian of the Flooded Village” of the Czech Republic, with 47226 votes, with the Portuguese representative in the contest, Castanheiro de Vales, finishing in 6th place.

The winner, a 350-year-old wild pine, keeps, according to the legend described on the official page of the contest, the memory of a lost village.

“O Chudobín pine grows on a rocky outcrop on the bank of the Vír dam. Its name is related to the flooded village of Chudobín that disappeared due to the construction of the dam. According to the legend told by the locals, a devil sat under the pine tree during the night and played the violin. However, most likely they heard the strong winds blowing through the valley. This pine is not only an important landmark, but also an impressive testimony of its great resistance to climate change and human impact “, reads the official page.

In a statement, the Union of the Mediterranean Forest Association (UNAC) announced the results of this year’s competition, which gave the maximum award to the Czech Republic, with Ginko of Daruvar, Croatia, ranked 2nd, with 28,060 votes, and the Lonely Alamo, in Russia, in 3rd place with 27,411 votes.

“The Portuguese tree, the millennial Castanheiro de Vales, was in 6th place in the contest, with 17,048 votes”, says UNAC, adding that “the participation in the European Tree of the Year contest served to make us aware of this magnificent living monument that represents the history and the cultural and natural heritage of our country “.

The contest was organized by the Environmental Partnership Association and the European Landowners’ Organization with the support of MEPs Ludek Niedermayer and Michal Wiezik, having counted 285,174 votes, distributed among 16 finalist trees.

“The European Tree of the Year is a contest that highlights the importance of trees in Europe’s natural and cultural heritage and ecosystem services. The contest is not just looking for the most aesthetically beautiful tree, but for a tree with a history, a rooted tree in the lives and work of the people and the community around them “, explains the statement.

UNAC, the national organizer of the contest, with the support of the office of the Secretary of State for Nature Conservation, Forests and Spatial Planning, is an organization that “represents the interests of forest producers in the Portuguese Mediterranean area with national and international institutions. European “.

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