A Ghanaian forestry student and environmental activist in Alabama, USA has broken Guinness World Records for the most trees hugged in an hour.
Abubakar Tahiru, 29, hugged 1,123 trees in all, at a rate of about 19 every minute. Growing up in Tepa, Ghana, Abubakar was exposed to farming life, which sparked his passion for the environment and its preservation.
Abubakar relocated to Auburn University in Alabama, USA, last year to start his master’s programme in forestry after completing his undergraduate studies in forestry at one of Ghana’s best colleges.
The location of his record attempt was the Tuskegee National Forest, one of Alabama’s four national forests, which is known for its abundant timber supply. For the sake of this record, a hug is described as a close embrace with both arms wrapped around a tree. The attempt is deemed invalid if a tree is hugged more than once or if any tree is damaged.
A smiling Abubakar embracing a tree claims that rushing between trees and making sure every embrace fulfilled the requirements was the most difficult aspect of the record attempt. The embracing motion itself was exhausting to him as well. Being fasting for Ramadan and unable to drink any water made his attempt to break the record even more difficult.
“Not being able to drink water throughout the attempt posed a significant challenge, especially given the physical exertion required,” Abubakar said.
“However, this also proved to be helpful in a way, as there was no need to pause for water breaks, allowing me to continue the attempt uninterrupted from start to finish.”
Abubakar easily reached the minimal threshold of 700 to become the first holder of this record, averaging one hug every three seconds.
“Achieving this world record feels incredibly rewarding,” he said.
“It’s a meaningful gesture to highlight the crucial role of trees in our ecosystem and the urgency of environmental conservation.”
Abubakar intends to continue working on the creation of sustainable practices and partnering with environmental organisations to support sustainable initiatives to further his involvement in forestry after breaking this world record.
Source: Guinness World Records Site
