Tree lover takes second record in Kenya after planting over 45,000 mangroves in one day
For nearly 24 hours straight, Antoine Moses (Canada) waded through the muddy shoreline on the coast of Mombasa, Kenya, his body knelt over a line of mangrove propagules that he was plunging into the damp earth.
Despite the exhausting nature of his work, the environmentalist was determined to achieve his goal. With his hands full of the developed plant cuttings, and a hat shielding the sun from his eyes, he worked through the morning and night on 30 April to disperse a record-breaking total of 47,460 saplings and claim the title for the most mangrove trees planted by an individual in 24 hours.
This was the second Guinness World Records title for the nature-lover, who won his first record in 2021 for the most trees planted by an individual in 24 hours after cultivating 23,060 trees in La Crete, Alberta, Canada.
“It feels very rewarding to achieve a second title,” said Antoine to GWR. “Especially knowing the positive impact this project has on local coastal communities, marine ecosystems and carbon absorption.
“What makes this one particularly meaningful to me is that it goes beyond the record itself and becomes part of a much bigger environmental mission.”
Antoine has been planting trees for almost a decade, and he said it took him roughly four to five years to build up the speed necessary to consider going for a record. He told GWR in 2023 that in Canada there is a big industry for tree planting, because every tree that is cut down for developments must be planted back – and it was in his home country that his passion for the environment grew.
“In 2021, after planting over 1.5 million trees in my life and dedicating years to perfecting my technique, efficiency and endurance, it was an incredible feeling to break the record,” he said. “It felt surreal to achieve something that no other human being had ever done before.
“Tree planting is such a physically and mentally demanding job, so having that level of work and dedication recognized on a global scale meant a lot to me.”
After accomplishing his first title, Antoine started sharing videos of his tree-planting journey online, and was “honestly overwhelmed by the response.” He currently has 1.6 million followers on Instagram, who are connected with his mission, lifestyle, and environmental impact of his work.
“That made me realize I could build something much bigger,” he said.
“I founded Antomos, a project where I use my social media platforms and storytelling to help brands invest into impactful tree planting and restoration projects around the world. The goal is to combine real environmental impact with meaningful storytelling and transparency.”
And he was inspired to take on his second record – this time for the mangroves – as another example for how successful tree-planting campaigns should be carried out.
“This project was very important to me because every tree planted through the record is being tracked and monitored over time through veritree, to help ensure transparency and long-term accountability,” he said.
“I want to be part of a movement where restoration projects are impactful, verifiable, and meaningful for the communities involved,” he continued. “[And] at the same time, these projects can become powerful stories that inspire millions of people online.”
Naturally, then, he had to thoroughly prepare before making his second attempt.
Mangrove planting has a significant impact on coastal protection, biodiversity, and local ecosystems and communities – so Antoine wanted the attempt to meaningfully contribute to an existing environmental project, while working closely with the communities in the Mombasa region of Kenya.
Dumping a massive amount of seeds in one place can be very damaging for a contained habitat, so Antoine diligently worked with the Kenyan Forest Service to make sure that his work would be safe and beneficial for the shoreline. The effort was also supported and recognized by local stakeholders, including community members and government representatives.
“I spent a couple of weeks practising beforehand and learning directly from local experts to make sure we followed proper restoration practices and procedures,” he explained.
The attempt took place at two muddy locations along the coast, which were preselected as being spots affected by climate degradation. Antoine was assisted by a team of volunteers, who helped him restock his bundles of mangrove saplings, as well as record all of his plantings and log the data on to veritree.
At 8:01 a.m., Antoine started planting – and over the course of the next 24 hours, he worked tirelessly to plunge thousands of mangrove trees into the wet ground.
As permitted within GWR guidelines, he took breaks every four hours or so, and otherwise stopped only to restock his baskets or sip some water.
“Mangrove planting was completely new to me, so I had to spend time adapting to the technique and conditions,” he said. “The terrain, the movement through the planting sites and the trees themselves were all very different from traditional forestry planting.”
Finally, 17.3 mi (27.9 km) – and 24 hours – later, Antoine planted an impressive total of 47,460 trees, more than enough to take his coveted record.
“I think having gone through the process once before helped me mentally prepare for what to expect,” he said, “Even though this second record was in many ways even more difficult.”
And though the effort was exhausting, he says the experience was so rewarding that he cannot help but continue his environmental mission in the future.
He told GWR that his goal was to keep growing Antomos globally, and continuing to create impactful restoration projects while raising awareness through storytelling and social media.
“In June, I’ll be driving across all 10 Canadian provinces in 10 days while planting trees and documenting the entire journey,” he teased.
“And long term, I want to continue building projects that combine environmental action, endurance challenges and meaningful storytelling to inspire people to get involved and make a positive impact.”
So congratulations to this record-breaking tree planter, and all his helpers – Antoine, we’re rooting for you!