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TreeHugging World Championships 2025

Tree Huggers of the World, Unite!
These days, it seems we humans have forgotten how deeply we rely on each other—and on the wellbeing of the planet we all share. Connecting with trees, the nature around us, and our fellow human beings is an essential life skill that deserves to be recognised and celebrated, wherever we live. At HaliPuu, we’re dedicated to just that: blending warmhearted, sustainable fun with the proven benefits of immersing ourselves in nature—and doing it all alongside fellow like-minded tree huggers.

We invite you to take part in the 6th TreeHugging World Championships, happening in Levi, Finland, on August 23rd, 2025. We will be joined by last year’s Online TreeHugging World Champion, Nuria from Spain, who will showcase her skills alongside participants from Scotland, Ghana, Finland, and beyond.

Want to join us and represent your country?
Fill out the application form HERE!

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TreeHugging World Championships 2024

When the world is in turmoil and people seem to have a hard time understanding each other, connecting with trees and other humans feels essential. Here at HaliPuu we are dedicated in doing just that: combining warmhearted, sustainable fun and the benefits of connecting with nature, and doing it with other like minded tree huggers.

We want to invite you to take part in the ***5th ever*** TreeHugging World Championships, taking place in Levi, Finland on August 24th, 2024, where last year’s Online TreeHugging World Champion Huyen Minh from Vietnam will represent Asia against the competition from the European, American, South American and Australian tree huggers. The event will be streamed live on YouTube here:

While you may not be able to join us in real life, we would love to see your hugging skills in the Online TreeHugging World Championships, a worldwide picture contest running from August 10th to 31st, 2024

Anyone anywhere in the world can participate and have a chance to win great prizes by taking a picture of their tree hug and sharing it with us.

Participating in the online competition is very simple:

1. Find your favorite tree, hug it and take a picture of your hug. Post your hug on Instagram or Facebook with both hashtags #TreeHugging2024 and #HaliPuu by 11AM CET, Saturday 31th of August 2024. Please notice that this contest is not affiliated with Instagram or Facebook.

2. Include a description of why you love this specific tree or tree hugging in general.

The winner will be selected by the judges based on the deep feeling conveyed in the hug, and the overall creativity and fun in the picture.

Online contest winner will be announced on Sunday the 1st of September on HaliPuu’s social media. We are eagerly waiting to see how the trees look in your part of the world! Happy hugging 🌲🤗🌳

The world championships have already inspired other events around the world. Together with our co-organizers Virpi and James from Greentrek (https://www.greentrek.fi/) we are currently setting up an international association that works together globally with companies and organizations to create their own tree hugging competitions and to increase nature awareness on the grassroots level. For more information and instructions for setting up your own event go to: http://www.worldtreehuggingassociation.org/

 

TreeHugging World Championships 2023

 

May we introduce: the 2023 Online World TreeHugging Champion, Huyền Minh from Vietnam🏆 Her picture was interesting. The tree in the picture had been damaged and used as a utility with wires going all directions. Huyền Minh saw the unity instead, and shared a warm hug with the embodiment of nature.
Congratulations 🤗🌲🌳🌵🌴🤗

Here is what she had to say about the hug:

“I had a very special childhood. I used to sit quietly under the big trees all day, emotional inside.
I found that when we breathe in, we take in oxygen and release C02, and trees do the opposite. So if we look deeply, we will see that we and trees are one. There is no separation, always needed for each other.
Photo taken at the Pine Forest, Ang village (Mai Chau, Son La, Vietnam) on 2022. I asked and got the tree’s permission before hugging. And I felt a natural, harmonious, warm energy from it”

 

Watch the full 2023 live championships from Levi 🏆

The 4th annual TreeHugging World Championships of 2023 (#TreeHugging2023) will be held on Saturday the 19th of August in our HaliPuu forest in Levi, Lapland, Finland. Participants from all over the world are welcome to join and compete for the title of World Champion – apply now and challenge our last year’s online competition winner, Kristen from the US.

Fill in the application form HERE

Now more than ever, connecting with nature and finding peace and balance among trees – either live or virtually – has become more essential
and needed. At HaliPuu we came up with the TreeHugging Championships in 2020 as a way to cheer people up during the pandemic, and to
remind them of the instant stress release that trees and forests offer. This year we introduce a couple of new elements to our contest, but the
basic idea stays the same: hugging and sharing is caring!
Happy hugging 🌲🤗🌳

Everyone can watch and comment the Championships for free, live via YouTube on August the 19th – we would love to see you support the
contestants. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel to ensure your free online viewing spot.

Online Competition

But that is not all! Everyone around the world is invited to take part in the Online TreeHugging World Championships – who knows, you might
even be joining us in person next year.

Participating in the online competition is very simple:

1. Find your favorite tree, hug it and take a picture of your hug. Post your hug on Instagram or Facebook with both hashtags #TreeHugging2023 AND #HaliPuu by 11AM CET, Saturday 26th of August 2023. Please notice that this contest is not affiliated with Instagram or Facebook.

2. Include a description of why you love this specific tree or tree hugging in general.

You can submit your pictures between August 12th and Saturday 26th of August 2023

TreeHugging World Championships 2022

 

TreeHugging World Championships of 2022 (#TreeHugging2022) were held on Saturday the 20th of August in our HaliPuu forest in Levi, Lapland, Finland. You can watch the Live broadcast from our forest and continue sending in your favourite treehugging pictures for our World Map of Trees. 
Happy hugging!

 

Winner of Online TreeHugging World Championships 2022

 

The online contest is now over and we have a winner! Here is the statement from our judges:

“We want to thank each participant to the Online TreeHugging World Championships 2022 for their entries. This competition is about sharing love for nature with kindered spirits, and encouraging you to go out and tap into the benefits that forests have for our mind and body.

…

Things that the jury looks for in the pictures are amongst others; Joy, passion for nature, beauty and creativity. The jury also likes to see stories and pictures that encourage others to be active in, and with, nature and trees. We have chosen four pictures that represent these qualities, and one of them is the winner of the Online TreeHugging World Championships 2022.

The finalists are:

Joy: Anbrin and his superhero friends hugging a tree

Passion for nature: Kristen, who had planted trees after a devastating storm

Beauty: SusanneM with her visually captivating hug in a blue dress

Creativity: Berzaite with her balloons and recorders

The winner of online TreeHugging World Championships 2022 is Kristen from Iowa. Kristen’s picture symbolizes hope that is present even after a devastating catastrophe. Hope turned into action is what we all need right now.”

Here is Kristen’s winning entry:

“August 10, 2020 , a Derecho with 140 MPH straight line winds devastated Iowa. As a state we lost 7 Million trees. My home lost nearly 100. After cleaning up, we are replanting . I call my little trees “New Beginnings.”

The prizes

 

Kristen will be invited to join the live competition of 2023 in HaliPuu forest, Levi, Finland. She will receive a one-week stay for two in Levi  (courtesy of Visit Levi) and a private cocooning trip for two with us here in the HaliPuu forest, both during #TreeHugging2023 next year. She will also recieve a gift card to a luxurious 2 night accommodation for two persons in Design Hotel Levi, including breakfast and entrance to the SPA, as well as a 2 person dinner courtesy of King Crab House in Levi.

Congratulations and foresty hugs to Kristen! Thank you all for helping us spread the joy of TreeHugging 💚

 

Watch the Live Stream from the 20th of August

 

 

“There was some kind of inexplicable magic in the afternoon spent in the forest. The atmosphere was immediate and relaxed, with genuine warmth twinkling in the eyes of everyone present. Lightness and good feeling bubbled in the air while the forest breathed deeply around us, gratefully accepting every hug it received.

Nature, joy, like-minded people, lightness and good coffee. If anything can help with this anxiety caused by the evil that is rampant in the world, well, this is it.”

– Laura Leppäjärvi, one of our judges on her Instagram account  @laanelle

 

Share your TreeHugging Photo with Treebuddy -app

 

Although the Online TreeHugging World Championships are over for 2022, we would love to keep receiving your hugging pictures on our World Map of Trees, powered by our friends at Treebuddy.

Now more than ever, connecting with nature and finding peace and balance among trees – either live or virtually – has become more essential and needed. At HaliPuu we came up with the TreeHugging Championships in 2020 as a way to cheer people up during the pandemic, and to remind them of the instant stress release that trees and forests offer. By adding your hug on our map you join us spreading the joy of this wonderful wholesome activity. Hugging and sharing is caring!

 

 

  1. Start by going to:

https://www.treebuddy.earth/accounts/signup/ and creating a free account for yourself (it is best to use your smartphone).

In the upper right corner you see a button with three lines – press it and a menu opens. Select App (the lowest item on the menu)

2. You are now in a screen with a world map. Press the menu button in the top left corner, and you will see a menu with option My Groups. Press it, then select join a group and finally type in halipuu in the ”Group code” box.

Congratulations, you can now add your own hug on the map!

3. In the upper left menu you now have an option Hug a tree! Press that. You are now back in the world map, with a yellow button + NEW HUG in the bottom right corner.

To add your hug click the + NEW HUG -button. The app locates your map coordinates. In the “Story” box, describe why you love this particular tree or tree hugging in general. Then press Take a photo to make your TreeHugging picture, and finally save your hug. It will now appear on the map.

4. Well done, you have now submitted your entry to the TreeHugging World Championships!

Looking forward to many wonderful photos from tree lovers from around the world!

 

Happy hugging 🌲🤗🌳

See what our friends have been posting recently!