If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Well, one person made sure that one particular tree stayed upright, and her voice was heard loud and clear.
Twenty-two-year-old environmental activist Truphena Muthoni has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest marathon hugging of a tree, keeping her arms around one for a total of 72 hours.
Muthoni, who is from Kenya, previously set the tree-hugging record in 2025 with 48 hours, but that was later broken by Frederick Boakye of Ghana at just over 50 hours.
“The first attempt was a statement, a way to reintroduce humanity to the Earth through a simple, intimate act,” says Muthoni. “The second attempt was a commitment. I realized that the world needed more than symbolism, it needed endurance, consistency, and proof that care for the planet is not momentary. Doing it twice was my way of saying that climate action is not a one-off event, but a sustained responsibility.”
Sounds like a record you can root for.