Ecuadorians Plant 647,250 Trees in a Single Day, Breaking World Record

Ecuador broke the reforestation world record on May 16, with thousands of citizens dirtying their hands and knees to plant 647,250 trees in a day, according to Inquisitr.com.

Ecuador’s environment minister on Twitter said that 44,883 people planted trees on more than 4,900 acres of land. President Rafael Correa during his weekly address to the nation said different species were planted all over Ecuador, a country with geography that ranges from coastline, to Andean mountains to the Amazon basin.

About 150 species were planted, including alder, cherry, willow, cedar, myrtle, mahogany, walnut and fig, among others.

The effort was organized by the government under a public-private initiative called “Siembratón.” The project aim is to slow down erosion caused by the deforestation that takes place in Ecuador on a massive scale. The goal is to reforest 1.2 million acres by 2017.