The tree grows at the edge of the village of Dulcza Wielka. With its branches, 25 metres wide, it provides shadow to those working in the fields and nectar for bees. It is also a good place to rest for trekkers.
The tree is known as St Jan Nepomucen’s Linden because of a shrine to the saint close by. According to Poland’s Klub Gaja, which submitted the entry for the competition, “its unusual beauty surprises and inspires admiration for nature’s power”.
An online vote (at www.treeoftheyear.org) runs until the end of February. Votes in the last week (from February 22) are secret, meaning that preliminary vote counts will not be available on the web page.
The winners of the competition will be announced at an award ceremony on March 17.
The contest is being organised by the Environmental Partnership Association, a consortium of six foundations from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia which support community-based projects to protect the environment.
In 2017, a Polish oak nicknamed Józef (Joseph), growing in Wiśniowa, south-eastern Poland, was voted European Tree of the Year.
(mk/pk)
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