Oak trees earned top marks in the recent Nature CK Best Tree in CK contest.
Taking top spot was a swamp white oak, nominated by Larry Garside. The massive tree is located on Clear Creek Road on Scouts Canada property at Camp Cataraqui south of Ridgetown.
Nature CK officials say the tree is thought to be at least 200 years old.
Second place goes to a Shumard oak nominated by Ross Simpson. This tree is located in Tecumseh Park.
A black walnut took third place. Nominated by Satish and Marilyn Menon, and by Connie Badour, this venerable tree is located in Maple Leaf Cemetery in Old ML Ward F.
Judges for the event included Mike Smith, president of Nature CK; Larry Cornelis, past president of Nature CK; Greg VanEvery, conservation services co-ordinator for the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Area; and Brock McGregor, a C-K councillor and executive director of the Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation.
Nature CK officials said they received submissions from across Chatham-Kent, accompanied by “wonderful heartfelt stories of family memories, history and personal connections.
“Choosing a winner was not an easy task – every tree had its own qualities and attributes which made it a contender. The judges considered several attributes before coming to their decision – the tree’s age, size, historical value, species importance, esthetic appeal, community connection, and personal significance were all factors,” Nature CK officials said in a media release.
