TreeHugging World Championships 2023

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 winner, Ani from Finland.

Fill in the application form HERE

Happy hugging 🌲🤗🌳

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!

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!