Submitted to The Record
Comox Valley Nature’s (CVN) annual contest, now in its fourth year, will once again throw the spotlight on contenders for the CVN 2021 ‘Tree of the Year’ title.
The Tree of The Year contest invites residents to nominate trees they love in the Comox Valley. Submissions may be significant because of their natural beauty, ecological importance, unique story, cultural significance or a role they play in the lives of the people and community that surrounds them.
| Carol W. did the cycle tour to view the CVN 2020 Tree of the Year: The Royston Yellow Cedar. Photo by Karen Cummings |
The goal of the CVN contest is to foster a strong connection with nature, raise awareness of cherished local trees and raise interest in the value and protection of trees rooted within the Comox Valley Regional District boundaries.
“Easily overlooked and often undervalued, trees deserve their moment in the spotlight,” said CVN director Karen Cummins. “This contest is simply a fun and inclusive way for people to identify and highlight individual trees in the Comox Valley that hold significant interest, cultural importance, strong heritage value or natural beauty.
“This is an exciting opportunity to demonstrate your appreciation of trees, and the value in keeping those of special note alive and well.”
Nomination details and an entry form for CVN Tree of the Year can be found at cvnature.ca/treeoftheyear
Nominations are open now and will run until April 1, 2021.
Later this year, residents will be invited to tour the trees and choose their favourite tree from the nominees by voting online at the CVN website from April 16 to June 1. The tree with the most votes wins.
Previous contests have unearthed some remarkable trees and their stories. Demonstrating the strong ties and affection their communities have towards them, a large Douglas-fir on Tsolum River was the inaugural 2018 winner. In 2019, a stunning Garry oak on Vanier Road won top honours, and a graceful yellow cedar in Royston took the 2020 crown. Their inspiring stories and pictures can be viewed on the CVN website.
The 2021 title winner for Tree of the Year will be announced on June 10. In addition to putting the best Comox Valley trees on the map, the contest offers a prize to the individual putting forth the winning nomination.
Comox Valley Nature is a non-profit society whose purpose can be summed up by their motto: “to know nature, and keep it worth knowing”. CVN always welcomes new members. If you are interested in joining, visit the online membership registration page at cvnature.ca/membership/.