Embracing Nature

Love nature and in the mood for a friendly competition? You’re in luck. Stretch out those arm muscles and prepare yourself for the Tree Hugging World Championships!

“Who would have the all-consuming love of nature to establish a tree hugging competition?” you ask. Why the Finns, of course! The competition is organized by Halipuu, a Finland-based, family-owned company whose name means “a tree to hug” in the native tongue. The company was founded by Riitta Raekallio-Wunderink in 2014. Riitta’s great-grandfather was driven into Northern Finland during WWII. There, he and his family were sheltered and sustained by the forest. In gratitude for all nature provided, Halipuu aims to preserve and protect its forest, while cultivating a love for nature.

The Halipuu forest is located near the village of Levi, in the region of Lapland, north of the arctic circle. Lapland is characterized by vast forests, mires and high barren landscapes. The sun does not set from early May to late July but merely coasts along the horizon, and for two weeks in December, the sun does not rise at all. During the summer months, the region stays in the balmy fifties, but temperatures dip to extremes during winter. Lapland boasts the lowest recorded temperature in Finland, -60℉. At that temperature, I bet the trees could do with a good, warm hug!

Adventurous huggers willing to brave the Arctic Circle must demonstrate their love of nature in the Halipuu forest. Those competing in-person are judged by three forest experts for speed, style and technique. Can’t make it to Finland this year? No problem. Spectators are welcomed to view the arboreal hug-fest on YouTube from the comfort of their own, presumably warmer country. Most excitingly, anyone can participate in the Online TreeHugging World Championship by submitting a picture via Halipuu’s website. Instructions can be found here.

What glory await the boldest of tree huggers? Well, besides the fact that loving nature is its own reward, winners of the online championship will be invited to participate in next year’s championship in Finland. They will receive a one-week stay in Levi, a private hammocking trip for two into the forest and gift cards for various local eating experiences.

In a world of high-stakes, cut-throat tournaments, it’s nice to have a highly rewarding, gentler competition . . . especially for those of us who are perhaps a little less athletically inclined.

Brian Rutter, PhD, is the cofounder of Thing in a Pot Productions and a postdoctoral researcher in plant biology at Indiana University. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our “Things About Things – Odd Facts About Plants” and video production tips in your inbox every month!

Works Cited:

“Kittilä.” wikipedia.com, 13 May 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kittilä

“Meet our Family.” halipuu.com, 06 August 2022, https://www.halipuu.com/who-we-are/.

“Tree Hugging World Championships 20 August 2022.” halibut.com, 06 August 2022, https://www.halipuu.com/treehuggingworldchampionships/

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