Kenyan environmentalist sets sights on 72-hour Amazon tree-hugging challenge

Having recently set a Guinness World Record for the longest tree-hugging marathon—lasting 48 hours—at John Michuki Memorial Park, Truphena Muthoni is now setting her sights on a new challenge in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

Her upcoming goal is to embrace a Samaúma tree, estimated to be around 300 years old, for a continuous 72 hours.

"As global attention shifts towards COP30, I am heading back to the Amazon with a purpose grounded in love, responsibility, and resilience—undertaking a 72-hour silent tree-hugging marathon at Quilombo do Abacatal," Muthoni shared with People Daily.

The choice of the Samaúma tree carries deep significance, echoing her earlier message from John Michuki Memorial Park about the benefits of tree-hugging for mental well-being.

To the Huni Kuin people, indigenous inhabitants of regions in Brazil and Peru, the Samaúma tree holds sacred value. It is seen as a spiritual entity that offers healing and serves as a bridge between heaven and earth.

The name Huni Kuin means "true people" or "genuine people," reflecting how these Amazonian indigenous communities identify themselves.

They maintain a strong connection to their ancestors and the natural environment, considering themselves protectors of their culture and land.

Despite her small physical frame, Muthoni will be embracing one of the largest trees on the planet, with the Samaúma reaching heights of up to 70 meters and towering above other rainforest trees.

Building on her recent achievement of a 48-hour world record at John Michuki Memorial Park on February 2, 2025, Muthoni is now gearing up for an even greater challenge.

"As I await official confirmation of my record from the Guinness World Records team, I quickly secured approval for a new challenge in the Amazon," she shared. "This will be a quiet yet powerful act of social responsibility."

In addition to the endurance feat, Muthoni plans to launch a global Climate Justice Anthem by the Amazon River, created in collaboration with children from schools worldwide.

"These young voices, often excluded from decision-making, are at the heart of this movement. We’ve been visiting schools, hearing their stories, and crafting an anthem that resonates across cultures and speaks sincerely from the heart," she explained.

Preparing for her time in Brazil, Muthoni is studying Brazilian Portuguese through a program offered by the Brazilian Embassy’s ABC language structure.

"This step is vital for building a deeper connection with the communities I will stand alongside. It’s a call to conscience that echoes from the forest to classrooms, from local groups to international stages," she added.

To support her Amazon challenge, Muthoni is actively seeking sponsors, donors, and government backing.

"The Ministry of Environment has committed to supporting my mission, and discussions are ongoing. Several organizations have also reached out, and we are exploring ways to collaborate," she concluded.

The Amazon rainforest is famously known as the "lungs of the Earth" due to its crucial role in regulating the planet’s climate and oxygen levels.

Spanning over 2.5 million square miles across nine countries—Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and the French overseas territory of French Guiana—it stands as the world’s largest tropical rainforest.

This immense ecosystem, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean through the Amazon River Basin, hosts around 10 percent of the Earth’s known biodiversity and accounts for 15 to 16 percent of the world’s river discharge into the oceans.

Billions of trees in the Amazon absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide annually, helping to slow climate change while producing roughly 20 percent of the planet’s oxygen—hence its nickname as the “Lungs of the Earth.”

By focusing her efforts on the Amazon, Muthoni hopes to raise global awareness about humanity’s treatment of Mother Nature.

"In an era where development threatens ancestral ecosystems and communities, it is vital to pause, reflect, and remind the world that protecting the planet is not optional but a collective responsibility,” she said.

Sadly, more than 20 percent of the world’s rainforests have already been lost due to activities like agriculture, logging, mining, and other human interventions.

This destruction not only harms the environment but also accelerates climate change by releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

As preparations for COP30 advance, a troubling contradiction has emerged.

The BBC recently revealed that in Brazil, a four-lane highway called Avenida Liberdade is being carved through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest.

This project, intended to accommodate the estimated 50,000 world leaders and delegates expected at the COP30 summit in Belém in November 2025, starkly contradicts the summit’s climate goals.

While global leaders call for carbon reductions and sustainability, the Amazon—the world’s largest carbon sink and a biodiversity hotspot—is being cleared to facilitate their arrival, highlighting a striking gap between rhetoric and reality.

For those interested in supporting Muthoni’s mission, she stands ready to proudly represent Kenya and carry the cause forward on the global stage.