Mindanao seeks Guinness record on tree planting

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Mindanao will attempt to break the Guinness world record for the most number of trees planted in an hour at multiple sites in the island.

The tree planting is set on Sept. 26, when participants of the TreeVolution: Greening MindaNOW will plant 4,636,000 trees at various sites covering a total area of 9,200 hectares in Mindanao.

They will try to break India’s world record of 1,945,535 trees planted by 340,200 people across 408 locations on Aug. 15, 2011.

The Philippines already holds the world record for most trees planted simultaneously at a single site. This was achieved in Camarines Sur on Feb. 23, 2011 when 6,893 people planted 64,096 trees at a 32-hectare site.

TreeVolution is being organized by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The tree planting aims to encourage massive stakeholder participation to meet Mindanao’s target for the National Greening Program (NGP).

“It is also part of the long-term campaign of DENR and MinDA’s MindaNOW Program to instill among Mindanawons the consciousness of a sustainable management of environment and natural resources as part of the larger efforts for climate change adaptation,” MinDA chairman Lou Antonino said.

“Interested volunteer planters may participate as a group or individual planter, while others can register their area as a planting site,” according to Janet Lopoz, MinDA’s executive director.

The online registration of interested participants is open until Sept. 10.

Those who wish to participate as an individual planter may visit http://goo.gl/St8w2, while those who want to register their area as a planting site may check http://goo.gl/eyXBQV for further information.MinDA and DENR are also urging Mindanawons to become sponsors for the event, while others can become volunteer witnesses or stewards.

Prospective volunteers or stewards may visit http://goo.gl/HI4iHR, while those who wish to become sponsors may visit http://goo.gl/jANVUI for details.

Lopoz said interested participants may also visit the event’s official Facebook page or write #treevolution in the search section of their Facebook accounts to get the full details of the online registration process. The event’s Facebook account address is https://www.facebook.com/Mindanao Treevolution.

“Let us show the world that we Mindanawons can unite not just in breaking a world record, but in ensuring the greening of Mindanao as well,” Joselin Marcus Fragada, DENR XI regional director, said.