Shropshire tree hunter visits 10 countries to find Europe's best tree - but one entry is off-limits
Tree Hunter, Rob McBride is on a tour with a difference, visiting trees that have reached the finals of the European Tree of the Year competition.
Rob McBride from Ellesmere is passionate about ancient trees and protecting those in danger.
He is on a 10-country, self funded promotional tour of all but one of the 16 trees in the contest.
Ukraine has entered the competition for the first time but as the apple tree is just 20 miles from the Russian border it is out of reach.
"If it had been near the western border with Poland I would have visited," he said.
After visiting Drasov, 60 kilometres south of Prague to see it's hardy pear tree he appeared on the Czech Republic Saturday morning breakfast TV show, Nova, to talk about competition.
"Their tree survived the Russian Uranium mining era. The spoil heap 'mountain' coming within 20 metres of the tree. It was a terrible team in the early 1950s when political prisoners were forced labour, many dying of lung cancer.
"The presenters also asked me about my favourite tree and I gave them a postcard of the 13-metre girth Lydham Oak near Bishop's Castle. They were mightily impressed with, what is, one of the largest oak trees on the planet."
Rob has already visited Oak Fabrykant in Lodz , Poland which is currently winning the vote in the competition and will then travel to Slovakia, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and finally the UK finalist, the Waverley Abbey Yew Tree near Farnham, Surrey.
The public vote for the contest is open and carries on until February 28.
The winner is announced on March 21 at an event in the EU Parliament in Brussels which Rob plans to attend.
You can vote for your two favourite trees online at treeoftheyear.org/vote.
