October 20, 2021 –
A birch avenue near Springe near Hanover has been voted “Allee of the Year”. The basis was a photo competition.
A birch avenue near Springe near Hanover has been voted “Allee of the Year”. The basis was a photo competition with more than 200 submissions, as the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND) announced on Wednesday.
Günther Wall was awarded for his picture “Birch trees in the ice armor”, which shows the 600 meter long avenue south of Hanover in the snow against a bright blue sky. “I was thrilled by this enchanted landscape,” said the photographer. In second place was an oak avenue near Drönnewitz (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), and in third place was a cherry tree avenue near Stolpen in Saxony. A special award went to a plane tree avenue in Frankfurt am Main.
According to the BUND, avenues have shaped rural areas in all parts of Germany for several centuries. They are a cultural asset, some provide people with fruit, protect them from the sun and wind or serve hikers as orientation.
The nature conservation organization has been concerned about the loss of avenues for around 50 years. It needs maintenance and dead trees need to be replaced. The BUND is in favor of planting avenues again in a targeted manner.
(dpa)