Who is Jimi Cohen, who planted the most mangrove trees in 24 hours?

A Australian environmentalist, Jimi Cohen, broke the Guinness World Record for planting the most trees by an individual in 24 hours. On April 22, Earth Day, Cohen, 30, an Australian national, embarked on a 24-hour challenge in Kwale County, Kenya, planting mangrove seedlings along Majoreni’s coast.

Who is Jimi Cohen?

Jimi Cohen is an Australian who holds the Guinness World Record for planting the most mangrove trees in a 24-hour period. Mangroves, vital for marine ecosystems, grow in saline waters and protect coastal areas from erosion, support biodiversity, and mitigate climate change. Cohen’s mission was to surpass the existing world record of 20,060 trees, set in Canada in July 2021. By the end of the 24-hour period, Cohen had planted 30,279 mangrove seedlings.

WE DID IT!!! 🌳

After 3 attempts, I finally broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for most mangrove trees planted in 24 hours! 🏆

It was a STRUGGLE, but so worth it! 💯

Keep reading to learn about the INSANE CHALLENGES faced & to find out the final number planted for this GWR👇… pic.twitter.com/x8EcPyO7rz

— Jimi🌱 (@JimiCohen) September 3, 2024

Cohen and his team from the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Pongwe-Kikoneni-Majoreni Community Forest Association (CFA), and Tree Gens starting the process of recording each planted seedling. KFS officials marked each tree and community members tallied their records, ensuring accuracy.

“I feel satisfied and excited to finish this exercise. My target was to plant 30,000 trees, but I’ve surpassed it. Now I wait for the verification of my results,” Cohen said, reflecting on his accomplishment. At peak efforts, Cohen planted up to 2,000 trees per hour, though the pace slowed as fatigue set in.

Cohen chose Kenya for his record-breaking attempt due to strong community support for environmental conservation, contrasting with the challenges in his native Australia, where wildlife threats make similar endeavors risky. The coastal environment in Kenya also provides ideal conditions for mangrove restoration.

Tree planting shows environmental commitment

Livingstone Kitawi, a KFS Warden who supervised Cohen’s planting, emphasized the importance of this initiative for Kenya’s forest cover and its role in mitigating climate change effects in local communities. He stated, “We are excited that an individual could plant this many trees. It shows the commitment by various people to conserve our environment.”

The project benefited the local community financially. Members of the Pongwe-Kikoneni-Majoreni CFA, who helped with the planting, were compensated Sh1,000 each. CFA Chairperson Mshemanga Hamisi highlighted the importance of mangroves for the community’s livelihood, noting that their restoration would protect them from coastal flooding and extreme weather risks, which had caused panic due to recent high tides.

Despite setbacks in previous attempts in Kenya and Tanzania due to equipment failure, Cohen remains optimistic. He awaits verification from Guinness World Records, acknowledging no financial reward.

Cohen’s environmental journey began at age four, planting his first tree. After witnessing the 2019 Australian bushfires, Cohen was inspired to take action, founding Tree Gens with the vision of a world where anyone can plant trees and be rewarded.

The record for the most mangrove trees planted by an individual in 24 hours is 30,469, set by Cohen in Shimoni, Kwale, Kenya, on April 22, 2024. As Cohen monitors the survival rate of the new mangroves, he hopes his record-breaking efforts will inspire action against climate change.

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