RMK invites you to the state forest to pick your Christmas tree 10.12

According to Toomas Väät, Silviculture Chief Specialist at RMK, the opportunity offered by RMK is becoming increasingly popular in Estonia with each passing year. “Finding a Christmas tree is a good incentive to visit the forest in winter, and the spruce selected during the trip adds some warm Christmas spirit to the home,” said Väät. This is the seventh year in which RMK is offering the opportunity to bring home a Christmas tree – last year, around 8,700 trees were bought.

According to Toomas Väät, before going to the forest, it is important to examine the map of state forests on RMK’s home page or mobile app and to make it clear to oneself where the state forests are located. “Users of RMK’s mobile app can check to make sure whether they are actually in an area of state forest not subject to nature conservation related restrictions, where a spruce may be taken,” said Väät.

In the forest it is important to follow the rules for bringing home a tree. “Christmas trees may be cut down only where they stand no chance of growing to maturity: along the edges of roads and ditches, under overhead power lines and under old forest,” said Väät, listing the appropriate sites. “It is strictly prohibited to take a tree from young growth, where they have been planted deliberately or where they are growing to be log trees.” In a young growth forest, trees have been planted in an orderly pattern, have been maintained, and are usually of the same age.

It is possible to pay for the tree either with a bank transfer or mobile payment; but the payment has to be made before taking the spruce. The price of the spruce depends on the height of the tree – a spruce which is up to 1 metre in height costs EUR 3, a spruce of 1-2 meters EUR 8, and a spruce of 2-3 metres EUR 13.

When going to the forest, one should bring a saw or an axe and dress appropriately based on the weather. Before setting the spruce up indoors, if possible, it should be kept in a cooler area at first, like a corridor or garage, as the tree will then remain fresh indoors for a longer period of time. For detailed information on how to handle the spruce, visit RMK’s website.

In case you have any questions in relation to the trip to find a spruce, you can call RMK’s Christmas tree hotline at 676 7500, open from 1-23 December, between the hours of 9–18. More specific instructions, a map of the state forest and other information is also available at www.rmk.ee/kuuseke.

RMK is the keeper, protector and manager of the forest and other natural biotic communities belonging to the Republic of Estonia. RMK earns a profit for the state through forest management, growing reforestation material, and organising forest and nature protection works. In addition, RMK establishes opportunities for nature walking in recreational and protected areas and shapes nature awareness. RMK consists of the Sagadi Forest Centre, Elistvere Animal Park, Tartu Tree Nursery, 70% of Estonian-Finnish joint company AS Eesti Metsataim and the Põlula Fish Farm. More than 700 people work for RMK.

Further information:
Toomas Väät
Silviculture Head Specialist at RMK
telephone 520 5734
e-mail toomas.vaat@rmk.ee

www.rmk.ee