Antoine Moses sets new world record with 47,460 trees planted in 24 hours

Antoine Moses on his way to breaking the world record in most trees planted in 24 hours at Mirarani, Tudor Creek in Mombasa county, May 1 /KFS

Canadian Antoine Moses, the reigning Guinness World Records holder for the most trees planted in 24 hours, has set a new record after planting an extraordinary 47,460 mangrove propagules within a single day at Mirarani, Tudor Creek in Mombasa county.

The Kenya Forest Service said the historic feat was sealed at exactly 08:01 hours, bringing to an end a relentless 24-hour stretch defined by physical endurance and mental grit.

As the final tally was confirmed, the site erupted in celebration, turning the moment into what organisers described as more than a record attempt, but a powerful demonstration of environmental commitment and restoration.

The exercise, backed by the Kenya Forest Service, local communities and conservation partners including Earthlungs, placed a global spotlight on mangrove ecosystems.

The coastal forests act as critical natural buffers against erosion, storm surges and rising sea levels, yet remain among the most threatened ecosystems globally.

Senior government and environmental officials witnessed the closing ceremony, including the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Forestry Gitonga Mugambi, alongside representatives from the Ministry of Environment, the Kenya Forest Research Institute, Earthlungs Foundation and other partners and stakeholders.

The achievement not only reaffirmed Antoine's position as a global leader in rapid-scale tree planting but also extended his earlier record.

He had previously set the benchmark for terrestrial tree planting in 2021 before pushing the limit further with the latest mangrove-focused effort, which required a different ecological and logistical approach due to the nature of propagule planting in tidal zones.

Antoine Moses backed by the Kenya Forest Service, local communities and conservation partners on his way to breaking the world record in most trees planted in 24 hours, May 1, 2026. /KFS

The milestone comes amid heightened global attention on tree-planting records, as the Guinness World Records is still reviewing the attempt by Kenyan Hillary Kibiwott to surpass Antoine’s earlier terrestrial tree record.

The Kenyan environmentalist planted 23,326 trees at Kessup Forest in Elgeyo Marakwet county between April 22 and 23.

The effort saw him surpass Antoine's earlier terrestrial record of 23,060 trees set in 2021 by a margin of 266 trees.

Although Kibiwott fell short of his personal target of 24,000 trees, his performance was marked by remarkable consistency, averaging approximately 16 trees per minute over the 24-hour period.

While Guinness World Records is still reviewing Kibiwott’s attempt, the parallel achievements have intensified global attention on competitive reforestation efforts, particularly as nations and environmental groups seek scalable solutions to climate change.

The back-to-back record-breaking attempts underscore a growing intersection between endurance sport, environmental activism and climate advocacy, with Kenya emerging as a focal point for high-impact ecological initiatives.

Truphena Muthoni, a 22-year-old Kenyan environmental activist, achieved a major milestone by setting a new 72-hour continuous tree-hugging world record in December last year, officially ratified by Guinness World Records on January 26.

She broke her own previous 48-hour record set in February last year to raise awareness for environmental conservation and climate change action.

As Antoine's mangrove record takes centre stage, the real victory lies in the renewed global focus on ecosystem restoration, especially in fragile forest landscapes.