Competition: The hunt is on for Louth’s most loved tree!

This week, Transition Town Louth is launching the first ever ‘Louth’s Most Loved Tree’ competition, with support from Louth Town Council and the Louth Leader newspaper.
Louth's Most Loved Tree 2021: An example of an entry to the competition.Louth's Most Loved Tree 2021: An example of an entry to the competition.
Louth's Most Loved Tree 2021: An example of an entry to the competition.

The grassroots organisation has launched the competition with the following statement.

“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 support of Louth Town Council and the Louth Leader, is launching 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 of Louth.

“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!”

• TERMS & CONDITIONS

Organisers: The competition is being organised by the community group Transition Town Louth with the kind support of Louth Town Council and the Louth Leader

Eligibility: The competition is open to people of all ages who live in, or regularly visit, Louth. One person may submit no more than two entries.

Nominated trees: Must be located in or around Louth, and be visible from a public right of way.

Pictures: A photograph of a tree, or a photo of your drawing/painting of a tree, can be sent by email to the address below. Digital formats jpeg and pdf are preferred, but any format will be accepted.

If you prefer to submit paper copies, please post or deposit them with the Louth Town Council at Sessions House in Eastgate, Louth.

Accompanying text: This must be a minimum of one word. There is no maximum number of words, but we suggest 10-60 words.

For the purposes of publication on the internet, or in the Louth Leader, a long text may be edited for length by the competition organisers.

Deadline: Whether sent by email or post, complete entries must arrive no later than midday on June 1st, 2021. If sent by post, allow plenty of time for them to arrive before this deadline.

Online gallery: All the photos can be viewed in the online gallery from early June at: bit.ly/LouthTree.

Data protection: Any personal data (name, email address) will be used for the current competition and will not be shared with any other organisations. They may be kept for up to two years in case of a follow-up project and the possible need to contact entrants. If you would rather they were deleted immediately after the competition activities have ended, please say so when you submit your entry.

Your entry must include: 1. Your full name. 2. Picture of your chosen tree. 3. Accompanying words. 4. Location of tree (enough detail so the judges can find it if necessary). 5. Contact details (email is sufficient for entries sent by email). Entries sent by post may include email or telephone or full postal address.

Please submit your entry by email to [email protected], or by post or by hand to ‘Louth’s Most-Loved Tree Competition’, c/o Louth Town Council, The Sessions’ House, Eastgate, Louth, LN11 9AJ.