Abdul Hakim Awal, a 23-year-old journalist from Kumasi, Ghana, has achieved a new world record for the longest continuous hug of a tree. His record-setting “tree-hug-a-thon” took place outside the Kumasi Cultural Centre and lasted an impressive 24 hours and 21 minutes.
This remarkable feat surpasses the previous record of 16 hours, set earlier this year by Ugandan environmental activist Faith Patricia Ariokot. Abdul’s attempt was driven by a commitment to raise awareness about nature conservation in Ghana.
As part of his challenge, Abdul pledged to plant a new tree for every minute he hugged the tree, culminating in a total of 1,461 new trees planted. During the attempt, Abdul was required to remain standing with his arms wrapped around the tree without any breaks.
With the record now established at 24 hours, the category has been redefined to “longest marathon hugging a tree.” This adjustment allows future challengers to take breaks, with a limit of two hours per day, to mitigate the negative effects of extended sleep deprivation.
Abdul, who has witnessed the impact of desertification in his family’s hometown of Garu, is now focused on launching a nationwide tree-planting initiative. He expressed his motivation, stating, “We know how trees, an essential resource which the entire human race depends on, are becoming scarce in Ghana. Though we have been taught about preservation of trees since the early years of our lives, the contribution from everyone is not as significant as it should be. This attempt for the longest time to hug a tree, to me, spells out an important task to preserve human life by preserving trees.”
Abdul follows in the footsteps of Abubakar Tahiru, a forestry student who earlier this year set a record for the most trees hugged in one hour, with a total of 1,123. Additionally, a single cork oak tree in France has gained recognition this year for being the world’s tallest, standing at 21 meters (68.9 feet).
