Antoine Moses, 23-year-old Canadian marathon runner and ecologist, set a new world record by planting 23,060 tree seedlings in less than 24 hours. Moses’ feat was achieved in July 2021, however, it was not until October 2022 that it was recognized and accepted by the Guinness World Record.

In his videos, posted by Moses on his social media, the young man can be seen bending over and digging a hole and planting seedlings in seconds continuously, without stopping.

Moses broke the previous planting record of 15,170 trees, which was held by another Canadian, Kenny Chaplin, in 2001. The Guinness World Record website stated, “The most trees planted by an individual in 24 hours is 23,060 and was reached by Antoine. Moses (Canada) in Crete, Alberta, Canada on July 17, 2021.”

In a post on his Instagram, Moses shared a Guinness World Record photo and said, “I’m proud to say I’m officially awesome. Last year I broke the world record for planting trees, and it was finally endorsed by the Guinness World Record. Thanks again to my amazing team who helped me complete this challenge!

Moses has been an athlete and has been planting trees for over six years, and he claims to have planted over 1.3 million trees across Canada. The marathon runner is able to plant an average of 16 trees per minute, or about one tree every 3.75 seconds. “As soon as I broke the initial record, I cheered up and hugged the whole team around me. I was overjoyed and happy, but not even 10 seconds later I continued” , Moses told the website. World News.

Moïse explained that he sees tree planting as a sport. “You have to keep your health up to date. It’s almost as if everyone who plants trees is an athlete,” he said. “You just have to put everything on your side and make sure you’re fit enough to plant more.” He thinks it’s time for his record to be broken and is ready to offer his help to even the next best tree planter. “I like the fun of helping people. If someone wants to beat them, I’ll help them with my tricks. I’m not afraid,” Moses said.

Moses, was accompanied by the association Blue Collar Forestry and Summit Reforestation. The realization benefited from the support of a team of six people to carry out the task. The planting was done on a lot cleared by Tolko Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of forest products, 100 km south of High Level, Alberta.

Criticism of monoculture

Despite an incredible feat, Moses achieved the goal by planting a single species of pine (Pinus), an old acquaintance of monoculture. When readers asked why he was chosen, Moses replied, “The trees that were planted are of the same species that were cut down there earlier.”

Readers in the comments have drawn attention to the fact that this is a place where “logging” is practiced, i.e. the reforestation forest planted for sale of wood, and that planting trees in this system would bring no benefit to the soil. , habitat and much less to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Asked about his networks, Moïse does not specify whether the trees will be felled again to be resold. In Canada, it is common for young people to be hired by organizations to plant trees.

according to a Greenpeace report, the forest created by logging is very different from a forest shaped primarily by natural processes. “Old-growth boreal forests are complex ecosystems with an abundance of tall old trees, standing dead trees, and a diverse variety of dead wood on the forest floor. All of these provide habitat for many species, from birds […], insects and fungi. In commercial logging, a system is created that is managed by regular large-scale human disturbances. Both types of forests have trees, but the resulting managed forest is not the same as the old growth forest that has been cleared.