Australian Tree Stories - The Yggdrassil

A tribute to our trees

For National Tree Day we are collecting people's stories and memories based around trees.

Tree Story Questions

Tell us your story! To write your tree story, please think about a tree which has a special meaning or memory for you. Maybe you played in the tree when you were a child. It may have been planted by your family or in a park you like to walk through. It could be a funny memory or experience. Some questions you may answer are:

What type of tree (or trees) is it?
What does it look like?
Where is/was it located (town or city, yard or park)?
What makes it a favourite or memorable tree?
How it makes/made you feel?
What stories or memories do you have about the tree?

Enter your tree story and be in the running to win a $1,000 gift voucher for an indulgent weekend at an eco resort.

Method of Entry

1. Entry is to open to Australian residents aged 18 and over only. Employees of Planet Ark Environmental Foundation, their suppliers and their immediate families are ineligible. By entering the competition, they will be deemed to agree with these terms of entry.
2. The 2010 Australian Tree Stories competition commences on Thursday July 1 at 10:00 AEDT and ends on August 31 at midnight 12:00 AEDT.
3. Entrants must go to the National Tree Day website at http://treeday.planetark.org and click on the links to complete their online entry form and upload their Tree Story submission. Tell us your favourite tree story in 300 words or less.
4. Entrants must include their full name, email address, contact telephone number, postcode and state
5. Only one entry per email address can be submitted. All entries become and remain the property of Planet Ark Environmental Foundation.

Prizes

6. The Grand Prize winner will receive a gift voucher to the value of $1000 to be redeemed at any eco resort pre-determined by Planet Ark in their home State. The Grand Prize winner will be responsible for the cost of their own transport to and from the eco resort
7. The eco resorts will be members of Ecotourism Australia and will hold Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation. The nominated Eco resorts in each state are:
- NSW: Samurai Beach Resort, One Mile Beach OR Paperbark Camp, Jervis Bay
- ACT: Paperbark Camp, Jervis Bay
- VIC: Aquila Eco Lodges, Dunkeld OR Venus Bay Eco Retreat, Venus Bay
- QLD: Canopy Rainforest Tree Houses & Wildlife Sanctuary, Tarzali OR Jabiru Safari Lodge At Mareeba Wetlands, Biboohra
- WA: Home Valley Station, Kunanurra OR Yuleverton Eco Spa Retreat, Metricup
- SA: Rawnsley Park Station, Hawker
- NT: Gagudju Lodge Cooinda, Jim Jim
- TAS: Cradle Mountain Lodge, Cradle Mountain
8. 10 Runner Up Prize winners will receive a 2010 National Tree Day T-shirt
9. All valid entries are automatically entered into the Grand Prize draw. The Grand Prize winner will be selected by Planet Ark Environmental Foundation and will be notified by email or telephone on October 1, 2010.
10. If the Grand Prize winner cannot be contacted by November 1, 2010, Planet Ark Environmental Foundation will select a new Grand Prize winner and notify them by email or telephone on November 8, 2010.
11. Planet Ark Environmental Foundation accepts no responsibility for any loss, damages or injury incurred in connection with taking up the prizes.
12. The Grand Prize is not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash.

Winner Notification

13. The Grand Prize winner will be notified by email The name of the Grand Prize winner will be published on the National Tree Day website (http://treeday.planetark.org) along with the 10 runner up winners on October 1, 2010.

Terms and Conditions

14. This is a game of skill. Chance plays no part in determining the winner. Each entry will be individually judged, based upon literary and creative merit. All entries must be the original independent creation of the entrant and free of any claims that they infringe any third party rights. Entries must not have been published previously and/or have been used to win prizes in any other competitions.
15. The judges reserve the right to disqualify any entrant submitting an entry which, in the opinion of the judges, includes objectionable content, including but not limited to profanity, nudity, potentially insulting, scandalous, inflammatory or defamatory images or language. The judges' decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
16. All entries become and remain the property of Planet Ark Environmental Foundation.
17. Planet Ark Environmental Foundation assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorised access to, or alterations of entries, and reserves the right to take any action that may be available. If for any reason this competition is not capable of running as planned, due to causes including, but not limited to tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of the promoter which corrupt or affect the administration security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this competition, the promoter reserves the rights in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, take any action that may be available, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition.

Subject to State Regulation

18. All details of the entrants will be used and preserved in accordance with the National Privacy Principles.
19. Planet Ark Environmental Foundation or their associated companies will be held liable for any loss, damage or injury of the results directly or indirectly from the Winner taking part in any aspect of the Prize.

Written by Monique Maree Gooch

The Yggdrassil

My life was missing something - where was that special connection to anchor me to my new home, encourage me to put down roots, make me feel complete and content?

It took me twelve months to find her but the day I did was one to remember, one worth writing about.

I was absent mindedly driving home and as I rounded a familiar curve in the road there she stood - tall, stately and completely naked! She was such a heavenly sight, bathed in golden sunlight. Every limb exposed,long perfectly proportioned and holding an abundance of life. And at the very centre of her being was a sign of new life in a new home. Just like me! How had I not seen her before? She stood before me like the Yggdrassil of Viking lore: the tree of LIFE.

I later found out her name,Poplar,and although not native to this area, the many birds she housed were;magpies, gallahs, cookatoos and correlas to name a few.

And so now her new growth and sprouting leaves wave me off each morning and she is the sign that I am 'home' each night. She has definately inspired me to put down roots, about 30 native seedlings so far and her presence fills me with awe. As I look up each day, I am reminded of my connection to all beings and of the grace, beauty and divinity of us all.

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