It was an impossible feat.
An environmentalist took his arboreal love to the next level by hugging 1,123 trees in just one hour.
Abubakar Tahir, 29, broke through Alabama’s Tuskegee National Forest and set a Guinness World Record for the most trees hugged in 60 minutes, the records organization announced Friday.
This means the Ghanaian hugged a tree an average of 19 times every minute.
“It is important to me to inspire young people in Ghana, especially those from disadvantaged communities like the one where I grew up, and show them that it is possible to overcome challenges and make a big impact. ” Tahir said.
The record attempt required Tahir, who is pursuing a master’s degree in forestry at Auburn University, to “hug and hug a tree” with both arms.
Arbor enthusiasts cannot hug the same tree multiple times or damage the sapling. Otherwise, the attempt will be disqualified.
However, Tahir effortlessly traversed the national forest, giving him about three seconds per tree.
This accomplishment was made even more impressive when Tahir revealed that he was fasting for Ramadan and could not consume any water during the exhausting expedition.
“Not being able to drink water throughout the experiment posed a major challenge, especially given the physical exertion required,” Abubakar said.
“But I also found this to be helpful in some ways: I no longer had to pause to drink water, and I was able to continue the challenge from start to finish without interruption.”
In the end, the sacrifice turned out to be worth it. Tahir broke the previous record of hugging 700 trees.
“Achieving this world record feels incredibly rewarding,” he said, adding that he aimed for the record to raise awareness about the importance of the environment.
“This is a meaningful gesture that highlights the important role of trees in our ecosystem and the urgency of environmental conservation.”
For his next venture, Tahir plans to deepen his involvement in forestry by working to develop sustainable practices and working with environmental organizations to promote sustainable projects.
