Ecuador Breaks World Reforestation Record

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Ecuador broke the Guinness book of records for planting the most trees in one day.
The South American nation deployed legions of volunteers on Saturday to plant as many trees as they could, all over the country.
In an effort to reduce carbon dioxide build-up in the atmosphere responsible for global warming, tens of thousands of people got involved in the mass reforestation over the weekend.
The Ecuadorian volunteers pitched in to plant 647,250 trees in a single day, according to President Rafael Correa.

The Gulf Today reports:

“I have just been informed that we have broken the Guinness record for reforestation,” the president said in his weekly address. He said several different species were planted and that the reforestation efforts took place all over Ecuador, which boasts varied geography from its Pacific coast, high Andean peaks and low Amazon basin.

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Environment Minister Lorena Tapia said on Twitter that 44,883 people planted the trees on more than 2,000 hectares of land.

The record, set just last year, apparently was taken from a group in the Philippines, Guinness said. Scientists believe planting trees helps offset carbon buildup, as they sequester carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere and help to reduce global warming.

Ecuador holds several other world records, according to Guinness.

Saturday’s record breaking event wasn’t the first time Ecuador has entered the Guinness Book of Records for its green credentials. In 2012 it won an entry for the most plastic bottles recycled in one week as part of an initiative to promote environmental awareness amongst children. Over one million bottles were collected weighing in at nearly 40,000 kg.