- Title: Estonians harvest Christmas trees with help of smartphone app
- Date: 20th December 2019
- Summary: KURESSAARE, ESTONIA (DECEMBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS OF SAAREMAA ISLAND TAAVI SEPP AND KATRIN SAGUR WALKING THROUGH FOREST WITH THEIR CHILDREN FAMILY LOOKING AT YOUNG SPRUCE TREE SEPP LOOKING AT MOBILE PHONE VARIOUS OF FAMILY LOOKING AT APP THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO FIND SPRUCE TREES THAT THEY CAN CUT FOR CHRISTMAS TREES PHONE SEPP'S HANDS VARIOUS OF SEPP CUTTING TREETRUNK WITH SAW SEPP PICKING UP TREE (SOUNDBITE) (Estonian) SAAREMAA ISLAND RESIDENT, KATRIN SAGUR, SAYING: "It is a nice feeling to bring your own tree from the forest. The ones sold in front of shopping centres are nice and plump, but I don't know, the children and I like to walk around in the woods and well, it does take some time, but overall, if the weather is nice, you have the time and the will, you can find a pretty nice one from the forest too. The app is pretty convenient too, just pay and choose the one you want and as a bonus, you can spend time with your family." SEPP WALKING TO CAR, CARRYING TREE SEPP LOADING TREE INTO CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Estonian) SAAREMAA ISLAND RESIDENT, TAAVI SEPP, SAYING: "I feel the same way. Of course, it would be even nicer, if you could also see the locations of trees, but..." SAGUR: "It would be even too convenient…" "It would be too convenient, then you would not go and walk around in the forest, if you just get it straight away, and that would be boring. Anyway, we are very pleased and everything is good." ESTONIAN STATE FOREST MANAGEMENT CENTRE FOREST MANAGER, JAAN PRANTS, WALKING IN FOREST
- 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: LVA001BAS6IPL
- 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
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