- Title: Estonians harvest Christmas trees with help of smartphone app
- Date: 20th December 2019
- Summary: PHONE SCREEN SHOWING TREE PRICES IN APP
- Embargoed: 3rd January 2020 12:00
- Keywords: Estonia app christmas trees environmental protection environmental tech forest management illegal cutting mobile application tree conservation tree cutting
- Location: KURESSAARE, ESTONIA
- City: KURESSAARE, ESTONIA
- Country: Estonia
- Topics: Environment,Nature/Wildlife
- Reuters ID: LVA004BAS6IPL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ahead of the holiday season thousands of Estonians head to the country's forests to cut down and take home their own Christmas trees.
As well taking a saw or an axe, many may check a smartphone app to help them pick out the perfect tree.
In a country where almost all government services are available online, Estonia's state forestry company (RMK) developed the app allowing people to find and pay for Christmas trees all in one place.
Katrin Sagur, a resident of Saaremaa island, said she prefers going into the forest with her family to find a Christmas tree rather than buying one from a shopping centre.
Her partner Taavi Sepp agreed, saying the app would only be more convenient if it showed the exact locations of the trees, although he admitted it would be less fun.
RMK forest manager Jaan Prants said people can use the app to legally cut trees from places where they have no chance of growing to maturity, and can easily see areas where they are not allowed to harvest.
Prants said around 10,000 trees are harvested with the help of the app every year.
Trees can be bought through the app - with prices up to 13 euro ($14.40) per tree - until December 31.
(Production: Janis Laizans, Dominik Starosz) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains computer game or software screenshots. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing this clip.
