With part of the opening ceremony for the Rio Olympics focused on our planet, organizers found a way for nearly 11,000 athletes to leave their mark.

As they entered the stadium, each received a seed and a cartridge to plant a native tree of Brazil. There were 207 species represented – one for each country in the Games.

The children with each delegation carried a more mature version of the tree as the athletes walked into Maracana Stadium.

The metal towers in which the athletes planted the seeds were moved to the middle of the stadium and exploded open to reveal lush vegetation in the shape of the Olympic rings.

The rings’ color – all green – was meant to serve as a reminder that replanting forests should be universal.

The trees will form the Athletes’ Forest  in the Radical Park in Deodoro.

According to the official program, this was the first time in Olympic Opening Ceremony history the athletes  participated in an action upon entering the stadium.

(USA Today)