Ecuador Holds World Reforestation Record for Planting 647,250 Trees in a Single Day
Anna Hunt, Staff Writer
Waking Times
A record set by the people of Ecuador is one of the most impressive in the Guinness Book of World Records still stands. In just one day in 2015, thousands of volunteers from around the country planted 647,250 trees in over 150 locations.
Deforestation
Ecuador is one of the country’s that’s been most significantly affected by deforestation. Oil exploration and the logging industry, as well as urban development, have resulted in cutting down of thousands of acres of forest.
Since the early 1970’s about 30% of the Ecuadorian Amazon has been deforested and/or polluted. Furthermore, over 70% of the coastal mangroves have been eliminated by the shrimp industry. (Source)
Despite this, it is still ranked eighth most biodiverse country in the world. This is why it is imperative that people do what they can to preserve the precious ecosystems of the rainforest.
Ecuador’s Tree Planting Effort
As reported by ThingProgress.org, the tree planting effort was organized by a private-public initiative called Siembraton. It spanned 2,000 hectares of land across 150 different locations in Ecuador. Volunteers planted 216 different tree species.
The Ecuadorian government has set a goal of reforesting over 500,000 hectares long term. Their aim is to counterbalance the damage created by deforestation up to this point.
Global Reforestation Efforts
Similar to Ecuador, many other countries that have fallen victim to deforestation have started their own tree planting movements. Here are three examples:
- First, in 2011, the people of India planted over 1.9 million trees in their country.
- Next, in 2014, Perth, Australia, broke the record for most trees planted in a single location.
- Also in 2014, the people of the Philippines set a record with the most trees planted in one hour at multiple locations at nearly 2.3 million trees.
- Finally, the small country of Bhutan celebrated the birth of their prince by planting 108,000 trees in 2016.
But let’s not be fooled. Deforestation continues. The effort of these countries does counteract the devastation that humanity has inflicted on the world’s forests, but on a very small scale.
The role that you want to play in reforesting our planet is up to you. If you cannot personally become involved in planting trees, helping financially is a great way to support groups such as Community Carbon Trees, be it that you make a personal donation or start a Tree Fundraiser.
If you decide to collaborate with an activist group such as Community Carbon Trees, make sure they focus on planting a variety of trees. Also, it is important that they focus on reforesting areas close to the equator. It is in these areas that trees sequester carbon dioxide 365 days a year and can have the most significant global impact.
About the Author
Anna Hunt is writer, yoga instructor, mother of three, and lover of healthy food. She’s the founder of Awareness Junkie, an online community paving the way for better health and personal transformation. She’s also the co-editor at Waking Times, where she writes about optimal health and wellness. Anna spent 6 years in Costa Rica as a teacher of Hatha and therapeutic yoga. She now teaches at Asheville Yoga Center and is pursuing her Yoga Therapy certification. During her free time, you’ll find her on the mat or in the kitchen, creating new kid-friendly superfood recipes.
This article (Ecuador Holds World Reforestation Record for Planting 647,250 Trees in a Single Day) is copyrighted by Awareness Junkie, 2017, and reprinted here with permission.