Environmental issues continue to reach a critical point, with deforestation being the cherry on top of the burning pile of plastic. The first Olympia Tree-Hugging Competition hopes to bring awareness to how important trees really are.
The Tree-Hugging Competition is separated into three categories: Speed hugging, for the thrill of competition; Freestyle, where participants show creativity through poetry, singing, and the physical hug itself; and Reverence, a category focused on the participants’ love and devotion to the trees themselves.
Event organizer Julie Ratner explained that she wants to “connect with a community of people who are equally as passionate about celebrating, hugging, and saving our trees.” The event gathered some notice from like-minded people, as about 25 attended, bringing together their awareness of the essential role of trees for themselves and the larger world.
With our climate in such dire distress, it is important to rally community awareness through fun and engaging activities that the community can participate in. Molly Gilmore, a competition volunteer, explained how “Tree hugging is playful and fun, yet it’s also an opportunity to increase awareness of trees and their importance.” Just like the iconic Procession of the Species, the Tree Hugging Competition hopes to become a beloved local event.
While Olympia tries to be environmentally conscious, the problems contributing to climate change, habitat loss, and pollution still plague the city. Melissa Spencer, an avid supporter of the event, discusses how “[she has] been [in Olympia] for almost 30 years, and yet the same rivers and waterfronts are still polluted. We have been in a prosperous time with more environmental priorities. Yet, in Olympia, we have been stuck for decades.”
In the next few years, the need for climate action will likely rise, and events like the Tree Hugging Competition could be one way to advocate for a cleaner and safer environment in a new and fun way.
