Abdul Hakim Awal Breaks World Record for Longest Tree Hug to Promote Conservation
Isaac Mintah 
A 23-year-old journalist from Kumasi, Ghana, Abdul Hakim Awal, has set a new world record for the longest time spent hugging a tree.
His remarkable "tree-hug-a-thon," which took place outside Kumasi Cultural Centre, lasted an astonishing 24 hours and 21 minutes, surpassing the previous record of 16 hours set earlier this year by Ugandan environmental activist Faith Patricia Ariokot.
Abdul took on this extraordinary challenge to draw attention to the importance of nature conservation in Ghana. As part of his commitment to the environment, he pledged to plant a new tree for every minute of his record-breaking attempt, resulting in a total of 1,461 trees to be planted.
The record attempt was no easy feat. Abdul was not allowed any breaks during the 24 hours and had to remain standing with his arms wrapped around the tree the entire time. Due to the length of his attempt, the record has now been reclassified as the "longest marathon hugging a tree," allowing future challengers to take breaks to prevent sleep deprivation.
Abdul's motivation for this challenge comes from his personal experience with the devastating effects of desertification in his family's hometown of Garu. He now hopes to launch a nationwide tree-planting initiative to combat deforestation and promote environmental sustainability.
We know how trees, an essential resource on which the entire human race depends, are becoming scarce in Ghana," Abdul said. "Though we have been taught about the 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 is the second Ghanaian to set a tree-hugging world record this year, following forestry student Abubakar Tahiru, who set a record for the most trees hugged in one hour, with a total of 1,123.
Interestingly, another Guinness World Record related to trees was set in France this year, where a cork oak tree, standing at 21 meters (68.9 feet), was recognized as the world’s tallest of its kind.
