Sao Chan Elite of Cambodia has won the COFO23 #ChampionTrees photo contest. We received over 630 fantastic photos from 97 countries for the contest to raise awareness that many trees are under pressure from changes in land use and the effects of climate change - thanks to everyone who entered!

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Send us a photo of an extraordinary tree and you could win a trip to celebrate the International Day of Forests!

A ‘champion tree’ usually refers to the largest specimen of a tree species – whether a towering sequoia, a banyan tree spread wide over thousands of metres, or an ancient olive tree that might seem small in comparison. Yet other trees are champions in their own way: growing in difficult – or almost impossible – situations, while also delivering benefits to people, animals and the environment.

These trees might be found in the middle of a desert, hanging from a cliff face, or in a busy city centre. Or they might be a whole forest growing on land that was once degraded, or in an area that was once under threat but is now protected. At the same time, many trees are under pressure from changes in the uses of land, or from the effects of climate change such as increased weather events, forest fires and pests.

Some of these extraordinary trees may not be around for future generations, so let’s capture them now! We’d like you to send us photos of an amazing tree you know.

The winner of the contest will join us at FAO headquarters in Rome to talk about their photo at the celebrations for the International Day of Forests 2017.

How do I enter?

To enter the contest, just follow these three steps:

1. Take a photo of an amazing tree or group of trees. This could be:

• An extraordinary tree growing on its own in an unusual place
• Trees that have been helped by humans to grow in a difficult situation
• Large old trees that are struggling to survive deforestation and the effects of climate change – these are the forest giants such as sequoia, baobab, Douglas fir and mountain ash
• A tree that you consider a champion for other reasons 

2. Tell us why the tree or group of trees is so extraordinary when you fill in the online entry form, and attach the photo (minimum width 1754 pixels at 150 ppi, maximum file size 5 MB)

3. Finally, don’t forget to post your photo if you have a Twitter, Flickr or Instagram account, using the competition hashtags: #ChampionTrees #COFO23. We'll retweet some of your photos on @FAOForestry Twitter.

Deadline for entries is 30 June 2016.

A jury will choose the six best photos at the Committee on Forestry (18-25 July), and the six finalists will be posted on FAO’s Facebook page for the public to decide the winner.

What if I’m under 18?

You have to be over 18 to enter the contest, but that doesn’t stop you joining the campaign on social media! Take a photo of an extraordinary tree near you and post it on your Twitter, Instagram or Flickr account with the hashtags #ChampionTrees #COFO23. We’ll tweet some of the photos from @FAOForestry Twitter.  

Photo gallery

See some of the entries we've received so far!