C4 Announce Tree Of The Year Programme

Channel 4 has announced a new programme in conjunction with the Woodland Trust to find the winner of the Tree of the Year competition.

Presented by Ardal O'Hanlon, the one-hour programme will reveal the four national winners chosen by the public in an online poll and, in a first for the competition, the overall winner of UK Tree of the Year awarded by an expert panel.

The programme will criss-cross the UK, learning what makes these nominated trees so special. Along the way, Ardal will hear stories from the trees' nominees, as well as scientists, historians and even an expert tree chaser on why each tree is so important to the community or landscape around it.

The Woodland Trust has been recording locations of special trees across the UK since 2006 and over 150,000 have been recorded on its Ancient Tree Inventory.

Now in its third year, the Woodland Trust's Tree of the Year competition showcases and celebrates the nation's best loved trees.

The public have voted on the 28-strong shortlist, which was selected by some of the country's best botanists, historians and photographers. The winning tree in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be unveiled to the nation in the programme. From these four champion trees, a panel of experts will select just one to take the title of UK Tree of the Year.

Tree of the Year (1 x 60') has been commissioned by Lizi Wootton, Commissioning Editor, Features and is produced by STV Productions under Executive Producer Peter Collins.

(MH)