On the 20th of April the Environmental Partnership Association celebrated the Award Ceremony of the European Tree of the Year 2015 in Brussels, organised under the patronage of Mr Pavel Poc MEP, vice Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament and the support of Mendel University in Brno and others. Participants enjoyed a photo exhibition of all the finalist trees, and wines from the South Moravian Region, offered by the Mendel University in Brno.
The winner of the European Tree of the Year 2015 is the Oak tree in a football field in Estonian village Orissaare. Before 1951 there was a small sporting area beside the oak tree, and when it was expanded the tree ended up in the middle of the stadium. For the locals in Orissaare it´s a common thing, but this tree is at heart of the community.
The European Tree of the Year contest originated in 2011. It was inspired by the popular Tree of the Year contest, which has been organised in the Czech Republic by the Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation for many years. The European round is a finale consisting of the winners of the national rounds.