Dear friends, The Tree of the Year election took place yesterday at UNESCO in Paris.
The chestnut tree at Bourgon Castle is on display there among the 26 regional winners. By a single vote, the castle missed out on being named Tree of the Year: the tree from Brittany was chosen by the public. But the jury’s choice pitted our chestnut tree against the pistachio tree from Haute-Corse in the final stretch, and the latter was ultimately chosen—and it was well deserved!
As a member of the jury, the Paris-based association A.R.B.R.E.S. contacted us to inform us that our chestnut tree would be automatically designated a “remarkable tree”; This will take place officially on March 17, 2012, at the château, in the presence of at least 40 members of the association and the press.
We have two more trees to present to them for classification: a magnificent, majestic oak that makes a striking impression as soon as you arrive at the castle, and a group of four oaks known as “the four brothers” by the locals because they are very well-balanced and grow from a single stump.
These are the wonderful surprises that ancient forests have in store for us… Bourgon Castle is beautifully showcased in this lush, natural setting, which is itself a treasure. Thank you all for your votes and your support.
Isabelle & Alain —