Reep Green Solutions, Tree Trust, and the Echo Foundation have named the winner and honourable mentions in the 2024 Tree of the Year competition.
This year's winner is a bur oak in Woolwich Township named Goliath.
The annual initiative celebrates the contributions of mature trees in our community, recognizing their ecological significance and the stories they hold.
“Mature trees play a crucial role in enhancing our community,” said Taylor Ross, Reep's stormwater and healthy landscapes programs manager, in a press release.
“Our trees nurture wildlife, provide cooling shade on hot days, retain stormwater, and store significant amounts of carbon. This competition has highlighted the importance of conserving these living treasures for the benefit of current and future generations.”
Reep brought Tree Trust to the Waterloo region to conserve the urban forest canopy through the care of mature, legacy trees.
Tree Trust is dedicated to caring for significant trees in our region, ensuring their health and longevity through professional arborist services.
This year's tree of the year, Goliath, was nicknamed by landowner Dennis Martin.
Estimated to be around 280 years old, Goliath stands along the Bur Oak Trail, a scenic two-kilometer path developed by Martin, whose family has owned the land since the 1940s.
Leah Martin made the submission and writes the oak is in the peak of health and is a picturesque specimen.
"Across generations 'Goliath' has escaped a fatal end, whether by chainsaw, age or disease. It is a hidden treasure that is shared openly with those who are interested and is an inspiring sight to see."
Honourable mentions include the Living Legend award to a bur oak in New Hamburg.
The story submitted for the Living Legend winner explains how, 93 years ago, a boy grew a sapling from an acorn planted in a pot on his window sill. It grew there until the boy met an untimely death at the age of 10.
His family honoured his memory by planting the sapling in their yard.
"Today, this majestic tree, with a trunk spanning three feet wide, stands as a memorial and a reminder of nature’s healing presence—showing how trees can hold personal and cultural value."
The Habitat Hero award went to a silver maple in the Cherry Park neighbourhood in Kitchener, and the Carbon Captain award for a bitternut hickory in New Hamburg.
Submissions for the Tree of the Year 2024 were accepted from across the community.
The nominated trees were evaluated by the Tree Trust team’s local chapter, who awarded the winning trees based upon their ecological significance, and their relevance to the themes in each of the categories.
Visit www.treetrust.ca to see how the other Tree Trust chapters in Ontario celebrated their Tree of the Year.
