The European Tree 2020 can be Romanian! Vote for the centuries-old tree, the Guardian of the Cibin!

The search is on for the 2020 European tree with the most interesting story! This year's competition also includes a Romanian tree - the centuries-old Cibinus Guardian tree. The tree can win the competition organised by Environmental Partnership Association (EPA) if it gets the most votes. Voting will take place throughout February, and the last week the number of votes for each tree will no longer be visible on the website. The results of the competition will be published in a festive setting and the winner will be awarded on 17 March 2020 in Brussels. You can vote by logging in here!

The Keeper of the Cibin

The Cibinus Guardian is a white fir (Abies Alba) from the Sibiu area, approximately 500 years old.

His story is, in fact, a legend. It is said that in the valley of the Cibin there lived a shepherd who had ten sheep. One stormy day, the shepherd took shelter with his sheep under the crown of a fir tree and fell asleep. When he awoke, the storm had stopped, but the sheep were gone. The shepherd asked God to help him find the lost animals. After praying, he fell into a deep sleep and dreamt that the tree had grown very tall and thick. When he woke up he saw that the dream had come true. He immediately climbed to the top of the tree, where he saw the sheep in the distance. Returning home, he told his mother about the miracle. The story of the miracle spread quickly through the village and the villagers decided to protect the tree. The tree has been there ever since, protected by the local people, who in turn protect it.

Tree of the Year

Tree of the year is a competition looking for a tree with a story. But the aim of the competition is to raise awareness and involve local communities in protecting the environment and local heritage. By gathering around a tree with a story, people will become more aware and are more likely to get involved in the future for other environmental causes and community welfare.

The European competition is in its 10th edition. It all started in 2011, with the European extension of an initiative of the Czech Partnership Foundation. Five countries took part in the first edition and since then the number of participating countries has grown year by year, reaching 16 in 2020. The initiative has expanded to other parts of the world, with similar competitions now being held in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Singapore, Canada and Australia.

The organisation of the competition raises awareness of environmental issues year after year. It unites communities, brings to our attention trees with interesting stories and makes us proud of our natural heritage.

How do I vote?

Simple! Enter here and click in the circle at the bottom right of the image with the name of the tree (Multisecular tree - guardian of the Cibin)! Then read the rest of the stories because, apart from the Romanian tree, you need one more vote for a tree from another country for your vote to count. You can only vote once and you can do so until 29 February, 23.59 CET (Central Europe Time).

Let's make our tree the star of Europe! Vote!