Ecuador broke a world record for reforestation in 2015, as thousands of people pitched in to plant 647,250 trees of more than 200 species, President Rafael Correa said. Correa said the seedlings were planted all over Ecuador, which boasts varied geography from its Pacific coast, high Andean peaks and low Amazon basin areas. Environment Minister Lorena Tapia said on Twitter that 44,883 people planted the trees on more than 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) of land.
Guinness Records adjudicator Carlos Martinez said hundreds of varieties were planted as part of the mass reforestation effort.
« There is no record in history of similar events involving over 150 species, » Carlos Martinez
Some of the volunteers, who planted trees in more than 150 spots across Ecuador, said while they were proud of the record, they wouldn’t mind seeing it broken again. « I wish everyone would beat this record, » said government employee Ricardo Quiroga, who volunteered as a tree planter in Catequilla.
« I want to beat it once a month so the planet will be full of trees in very little time, which is what we need. » The Philippines holds the record for the most trees planted in an hour, with 3.2 million seedlings sown last September as part of a national forestation program.
SOURCE: Discovery News