Polish oak tree vies for European Tree of the Year prize: audio report

Voting is under way for the 2023 European Tree of the Year award, with Polish oak tree "Fabrykant" [Factory owner] among the 16 entries. 

"Fabrykant," an 180-year-old common oak growing in the central Polish city of Łódź.

Pelikan13, CC BY-SA 3.0 PL , via Wikimedia Commons

Renowned for its unique structure, Fabrykant is a 180-year-old common oak from the central city of Łódź.

180-letni dąb Fabrykant, który rośnie w Łodzi kandydatem na Europejskie Drzewo Roku. Głosować można od dziś do końca miesiąca za pośrednictwem Internetu – informują ekolodzy z Klubu Gaja, który koordynuje konkurs w Polsce. pic.twitter.com/EhiYcbGe9i

— Radio ZET NEWS (@RadioZET_NEWS) February 1, 2023

The winner of the European Tree of the Year contest will be decided by an online vote at www.treeoftheyear.org, which runs until the end of February, the organisers said.

📣 Voting for the 13th European Tree of the Year has just started!

16 trees with powerful stories from different parts of Europe are waiting for your vote! 🌳🌲

Vote from 1st to 28th February 👉 https://t.co/AbE6QKRCKR pic.twitter.com/1f2EisJwiA

— Tree of the Year (@TreeoftheYear) February 2, 2023

Fabrykant represents Poland after being voted the Polish tree of the year.

The national contest is organised by Klub Gaja, one of Poland’s oldest NGO’s working for environmental protection and animal rights. 

Jacek Bożek, the founder and head of Klub Gaja, spoke to Radio Poland’s Agnieszka Bielawska about Fabrykant and its chances of becoming the 2023 European Tree of the Year. 

Click on the audio player above to hear the interview.