The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro and participants of the Olympic Games Rio 2016 have planted the first seedlings of the Rio 2016 Athletes’ Forest at Deodoro Olympic Park. The ceremony took place after a two-year delay due to budgetary issues. During that period the seedlings were cared for in a local nursery.
Earlier during the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony athletes had entered the Olympic Stadium carrying more than 11,000 seeds of native Brazilian trees and of 207 participant countries and had formed the shape of the Olympic rings
The Athletes’ Forest will have 11, 237 trees reflecting the number of athletes who competed at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. Another 2,488 trees will form the Medallists' Grove, which will represent the Rio 2016 medalists. Overall, the forest will occupy an area of around 10 hectares and all the trees will be planted by early 2020.