Lower Saxony celebrates: Avenue of the Year 2025 awarded in the north!

Lower Saxony celebrates: Avenue of the Year 2025 awarded in the north!

The beauty of the avenues is receiving special recognition this year, because the avenue in Norden, Lower Saxony, was named “Allee of the Year 2025”. The BUND presents this award annually on “Allee Day” on October 20th, thereby helping to raise awareness for the protection of these valuable natural structures. This reports Geo. This year, the 2024 photo competition, which had the motto “Avenues in the four seasons”, once again received around 220 entries.

The winning photo, taken by Uwe Fröbel in the Leybuchtpolder, shows an avenue leading to a village cemetery and was recognized for its impressive image detail and expressiveness. The jury emphasized how the trees appear as independent sculptures in their presentation and perfectly capture the winter atmosphere. The diversity of nature also comes into its own wonderfully in the combination of birch, alder and oak. The transition from the well-kept edge of the path into the tall herbaceous meadow shows the change of the seasons and gives the picture a special depth CONVENTION.

Placements and significance of the avenue protection projects

Second and third places in the competition also went to impressive photos from the region. The second picture shows an ash tree avenue in Saxony, which was praised for the initiatives for new plantings and the active avenue protection. Third place went to another photo from the Leybuchtpolder, which captures the radiant light effects of an ash and maple avenue. Such images are not only artistic highlights, they also illustrate the importance of these natural monuments.

This award and the previous photo competition illustrate the central role that avenues play in our cultural landscape. They filter pollutants, provide habitats for endangered species and have not only ecological but also cultural value. The BUND has been awarding the title “Avenue of the Year” since 2008 to draw attention to the need to protect these unique natural structures

Long-term initiatives to protect avenues

The need to protect avenues in the German streetscape is also underlined by a project by the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. The aim is to carry out a nationwide recording and long-term security of avenues. This initiative is being implemented within the framework of the German Federal Environmental Foundation and aims to stop the loss of avenues on federal and state roads and to create supports for new plantings. Loud DBU Analyzes show large differences in the density of avenues between the federal states, which shows a need for action.

Workshops and media presence will raise public awareness of this topic, while the results of the project will be presented at specialist conferences. The long-term goal is to provide an action guide for the protection and planting of avenues that involves both public and private actors.

Avenues are much more than just picturesque street companions; they are an important cultural asset that needs to be protected. Let's all take a look at the trees that enrich our landscape and give it its unique character!