Dateline Portland Oregon Monday July 22, 2013 – Warning:  Coming soon to the rest of America!  Long but worth the time, I am posting the much anticipated bonus reel from saturday’s World Record for Tree Hugging, set in the Hoyt Arboretum, Portland Oregon.

A staggering 951 people hugged trees for over a minute breaking the past official record of 731 people documented in the Guinness Book of World Records.  The previous record was set by a group in England in September 2011.  Keep in mind what you are watching is *real*.  These are *not* actors.  This is *not* performed from a script.  Some of the people are paid by the taxpayer.  The reel includes an interview with the Arboretum’s Curator Kiwi Martin Nicholson and special guest Damonn Schrosk Owner of “Treecology” (you can’t make this stuff up folks) who has an interesting set of credentials which required three sets of screen titles.  Hang in there for the attempt at a tree sing along (which destroyed a perfectly good “Door’s Tune”), a creepy mascot frightening the children, and at least two documented near fatal incidents with sap.  Caught on tape:  a kid actually climbing a tree (gasp!) despite warnings from officials, while others tangle with poison ivy!  Welcome to Portland the land of the bizarre where the surreal becomes real.  (Includes the footage from the original short version as well.)

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