Across the country, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., the students took part in the Great Root Lesson: in the school garden, on the school playground, or in the classroom with a digital lesson. At the Wilgenhof of Natuurstad in Rotterdam—where students have been allowed to grow their own fruit and vegetables for more than 100 years—the record attempt was ceremonially launched.
Marieke Dekker of the School Gardens Alliance is delighted: “We are very happy to have achieved a new World Record and to see so much enthusiasm among the students. It is clear that they really enjoy gardening at school. Moreover, on this Biodiversity Day, they are also learning about soil organisms and their role in growing our food.”
Previous world records
School Garden Week was inspired by previous world records. For example, on 28 October 2022, the Ministry of Construction in Turkmenistan set the World Record for the ‘largest gardening lesson’. 539 people received 25 minutes of theoretical instruction, followed by a practical assignment on planting grapevines. This record was officially registered as a Guinness World Record.
On 28 July 2023, this record was broken in West Virginia, United States. More than 1,300 people took part in a gardening lesson in which cucumbers were sown. This attempt was not officially registered, so the official record still stands at 539 people.
The record attempt was an activity of School Garden Week. During this campaign week, the School Gardens Alliance and Jong Leren Eten, together with thousands of teachers and children, highlighted the importance and enjoyment of gardening at school. In this way, they aim to encourage more schools and municipalities to discover school gardening and make it possible.