The next time you go for a walk around Louth – have trees on your mind and a camera in your pocket. You just might be that keen-eyed person who finds the one tree we all love!
Transition Town Louth, with the kind support of Louth Town Council and the Louth Leader, are launching a competition for adults and children, to find ‘Louth’s Most-loved Tree’ for 2021.
Of all the trees you pass in and around town – which one is the most beautiful, the most useful, the most unusual, or the most meaningful to you? We would like you to send us a picture – a photograph or a painting or drawing – of your chosen tree and a few words about what it means to you. The words may say why you like this tree, or be a little poem, or a bit about its biology or history, or you could send us just one word that sums it all up for you.
All submissions will be uploaded into an online gallery and a panel of judges will create a shortlist of six trees. The Louth Leader will publish these six finalists, and all residents and visitors to Louth will have a chance to vote on which of these six is to become ‘Louth’s Most-loved Tree 2021’ – perhaps it will be yours?
There will be a small ceremony at the ‘winning’ tree; the winning person will have their entry published in the Louth Leader and receive a specially framed certificate from the Mayor.
Because of the rich history of Louth, the town has a wide range of native and exotic trees – some are outstanding examples of their species, others intriguing for the stories behind them, and others are special for the poetry they inspire. Some trees are newly planted, and others may be so old they witnessed the civil war 350 years ago, or sheltered people as they listened to the outdoor preachers of the 18th century. Many trees uplift us with their changing colours, amazing branches or knotted roots, enduring capacity for growing and fruiting year after year, or simply providing shade or a place to play on a hot summer’s day. All of them magically, and fortunately for us, are busy recycling the air that we breathe.
We are looking forward to a community discovery of all our wonderful trees and to be able to share what they mean to us. With the recent explosion of walking and cycling in and around Louth, this could be a good, if not the best, time to do it.