The crew of a Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter flying over a forested region near Kaipara Falls, in New Zealand, spotted a bunch of trees planted in the shape of a heart, in the middle of a small forest.

Dubbed the “heart of the forest”, the unusual find went viral on social media last month, after a photo of it taken by helicopter crew chief Mark “Tinny” Cannell was shared on Facebook. This was the first time a Westpac Rescue team spotted the tree heart, so they didn’t have any story to share, but a number of comments on the original Facebook post claimed that it was the work of a certain Wayne Barnes, who also built a dwelling nearby, as a romantic gesture for his wife, Rosie.

Photo: Auckland Westpac Rescue/Facebook

It’s unclear whether Wayne or his wife are still around, but the heart of the forest is apparently a popular sight among the people of Kaipara Falls, especially in autumn. According to a screengrab of a conversation on the private Kaipara Falls Community group, the heart is made up of deciduous trees that turn a reddish brown in autumn, creating a stunning sight against the green and yellowish background.

Apparently, Barnes’ romantic tribute is visible not only from high up in the sky, but also as you drive down Hills Road, in the Kaipara Falls area, if you know where and when to look.

In the past, we featured quite a few impressive tree patterns, planted for various reasons. We had this giant guitar-shaped forest planted by an Argentinian farmer for his wife, the world’s largest signature, and the Lenin-shaped forest of Siberia.