Australian Tree Stories - The "Hugging Tree"

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 Marilyn Kremmer

The "Hugging Tree"

Years ago before my mother died she was confined to a wheelchair and was unable to venture into the bush she loved so much. She would always say to us when we went for a picnic or ventured into the bush ”Hug a tree for me”. This got to be a great family tradition. After she died we moved to Fern Tree in the foothills of Mt Wellington in Hobart where we dedicated a special tree to her. This was on the track from our home to O’Grady’s Falls. Over the years, our children, and now our grandchildren as well as visitors, friends and relatives have all been introduced to the “Hugging Tree”. Even friends from England and their children have hugged the tree and taken this tradition back with them to England and even Hong Kong!

The picture shows me with our 2 Sydney grandchildren Emily and Conor

Marilyn Kremmer
20 Bracken Lane
Fern Tree Tasmania 7054

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