Celebrating Trees: The Success of Polish "Heart of the Dalkowskie Hills" and the Tree of the Year Contest

The results of the European Tree of the Year contest have been announced. The Polish beech tree “Heart of the Dalkowskie Hills” won the vote decisively with a total of 147,553 votes. Poland is thus celebrating its fourth consecutive victory in the contest. What is the Polish recipe for such success in this contest? What does participation in the contest mean for the Polish people? And how important is the Tree of the Year project within the activities of Klub Gaja, the national coordinator of the contest in Poland? 

We bring you an exclusive interview with Jola Migdał, who oversees the Tree of the Year contest in Poland.
 

When was the environmental organization Klub Gaja founded, and with what mission?

Klub Gaja was founded by Jacek Bożek, initially as an informal group during the communist regime in 1988. Our mission from the beginning was to work for the Earth – Gaia, to preserve the natural environment and biodiversity for us and for future generations, to build a future based on interdependence, compassion and cooperation.

What range of projects does your organization focus on? And how important is the Tree of the Year contest in your activities?

One of our largest projects is the ecological education program Święto Drzewa (Tree Day), implemented since 2003, the theme of which is the protection of the environment and climate - supported by real action - planting and protecting trees, establishing gardens, squares and parks, taking care of old trees, collecting waste paper, organizing various activities for trees, including those combining ecology and art. Every year, on October 10 Klub Gaja organizes a nationwide inauguration of the next edition of the program and  Święto Drzewa (Tree Day) gala in Warsaw. It is also a signal for program participants throughout the country to organize local Święto Drzewa (Tree Day) celebrations. Every year, several hundred different entities from the country participate in the Tree Day planting trees and shrubs and organizing various activities and campaigns for trees and around trees. Since the beginning of the program, with broad social participation of over 800 thousand people, we have planted over a million trees throughout Poland.

When we found out about the Tree of the Year contest organized in the Czech Republic, we knew right away that it was something for us, that it would be a great addition to our Święto Drzewa (Tree Day) program. The contest, through stories about trees, unites the local community around the value of trees, shows many positive examples of caring for our nature and local tradition and history, as well as civic involvement in defending trees from irresponsible cutting. Since the beginning of the contest in Poland, we have already discovered over 200 extraordinary trees important to the local community - finalists of the Tree of the Year contest in Poland.

Does your national round of the contest receive as much attention in Poland as the European contest? And how interested are communities in nominating a tree for the contest?

The Tree of the Year contest has a tradition in Poland. We organized the first edition in 2011. At that time, we received a record number of almost 300 applications. In 2012, we took part in the first European contest. Over the 15 years of organizing the contest in Poland, it has become very popular and recognizable among tree lovers in our country and has become a permanent part of the calendar of ecological events in Poland. 

Every year, we receive several dozen new applications to the competition, both from individuals and schools, organizations and local governments. Even local Tree of the Year competitions are organized, e.g. in Warsaw or in the Kłodzko district. The winners of these contests apply for  the national edition. Every year, almost 50 thousand people take part in the contest, and the voting website records over 200 thousand views.

What does participation in the European Tree of the Year contest mean to you?

The European Tree of the Year contest is a wonderful event for tree lovers throughout Europe. It is a great celebration of trees, which are important not only for ecosystems and climate protection, but are also a symbol of lasting relationships between people and nature. For us in Poland, it is a wonderful opportunity to promote Polish nature, culture and history on the international stage, as well as an opportunity for cooperation and education about trees and their importance to people.

The Polish tree has won the European Tree of the Year contest for four years in a row, with a solid lead. What do you think has contributed to its great success?

I think that many factors contributed to this. First of all, the contest has been organized in Poland for 15 years, it is well-known, has built a reputation, carries a positive message, allows to discover real gems among trees and shows people involved in their protection. That is why so many people submit trees to the Polish edition of the competition every year. 

Every year we also see great interest in the competition from national and local media, and above all from social media, which encourage their users to vote. For several years, we have received lots of support here by the community of the Instagram profile Make Life Harder, which is breaking popularity records in Poland (over 1.4 million followers). 

Local communities gathered around Polish trees also play a significant role, organizing various educational and promotional events during the European voting, e.g. Valentine's Day photo sessions under trees or a campaign to make the longest woolen shawl for a tree or dancing  polonaise under the tree with the participation of several dozen pairs of high school graduates.

How do you perceive the role of social media in raising awareness about nature conservation and the importance of trees in Poland?

Social media is currently an important and a very popular communication channel all over the world, especially among young people. I think it is worth using in education. The Tree of the Year contest gives us a great opportunity to draw public attention to the role and importance of trees in our lives and the need to protect them for us and for future generations, as well as to inspire people to make responsible decisions in the interests of the natural environment.