Nominate your favorite trees

Austin’s Tree of the Year Awards is looking for winners! Nominate your favorite tree in five different categories: 1) small enough to wrap your arms around; 2) too big to wrap your arms around; 3) schoolyard tree on a K-12 public campus; 4) tree with an interesting history, and 5) one-of-a-kind unique tree. The contest, organized by TreeFolks and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, includes lots of resources to help you identify your favorite trees while you’re exploring the urban forest. There’s also a gallery with photos of past winners and their locations for those interested in going on a tree-finding odyssey. And best of all for tree-lovers, while submitting your own nomination, you’ll be able to view a map of other nominations of exceptional trees around Austin. Nominated trees must be within the city limits, publicly accessible (e.g., not in your backyard) and cannot have previously won the contest. Nominations are open until Sept. 30 and voting will take place Oct. 1-31. Nominate your tree!