Moon Tree Virtual Cache

The “Moon Trees”

Apollo 14 launched January 31, 1971, on what was to be the third trip to the lunar surface. Five days later Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on the Moon while Stuart “Smokey” Roosa, a former U.S. Forest Service smoke jumper, orbited above in the command module. Packed in small containers in Roosa's personal kit were hundreds of tree seeds, part of a joint NASA/USFS project. Upon return to Earth, the seeds were germinated by the Forest Service. Known as the "Moon Trees", the resulting seedlings were planted throughout the United States (often as part of the nation's bicentennial in 1976) and the world. They stand as a tribute to astronaut Roosa and the Apollo program.

The project began after Roosa was chosen for the Apollo 14 mission. Ed Cliff, Chief of the Forest Service, knew of Stuart Roosa from his days as a smoke jumper and contacted him about bringing seeds into space. Stan Krugman of the Forest Service was put in charge of the project and selected the seeds for the experiment. Seeds were chosen from five different types of trees: loblolly pine, sycamore, sweetgum, redwood, and Douglas fir. The seeds were classified and sorted, and sealed in small plastic bags that were stored in a metal cannister. Control seeds were kept on Earth for later comparison. Roosa carried possibly 2000 or more seeds in the cannister in his personal kit, a small canvas pouch that stayed with him as he orbited the Moon in the command module "Kitty Hawk" in February, 1971. Unfortunately, the seed bags burst open during the decontamination procedures after their return to Earth, and the seeds were scattered about the chamber and exposed to vacuum, and it was thought they might not be viable.

Stan Krugman collected the seeds and an attempt at germinating some of the seeds was made in Houston. Somewhat surprisingly, it proved successful and the seeds started growing, but they did not survive long because the facilities there were inadequate. A year later the remaining seeds were sent to the southern Forest Service station in Gulfport, Mississippi (sycamore, loblolly pine, and sweetgum) and to the western station in Placerville, California (redwood and Douglas fir) to attempt germination. Many of the seeds, and later cuttings, were successful and grew into viable seedlings. Some of these were planted with their Earth-bound counterparts as controls, (as might be expected, after over forty years there is no discernable difference) but most were given away in 1975 and 1976 to many state forestry organizations to be planted as part of the nation's bicentennial celebration. These trees were southern and western species, so not all states received trees. 

Michigan received four sycamores grown from original orbital seeds which were placed in Lansing, Wyoming, Jackson, and Niles.  Of the four, only the tree in Niles is still alive.

Wyoming Police Department Moon Tree

An American Sycamore was planted near the newly completed Wyoming Police-Justice Building (the current Wyoming District Court at 2650 DeHoop) on 23 April 1976. Native son and then President Gerald R. Ford provided the dedication.  His comments are included on the stone near the base of the tree. In 2000, the tree was accidentally cut down during a landscape remodeling project.

In 2009, Officer Adam Bartone of the Wyoming Police Department spearheaded a committee to bring a replacement tree back to the city.  A second-generation Moon Sycamore was planted for a rededication event on 26 August as part of a 50th anniversary celebration of the City of Wyoming Police Department. The tree is planted outside the current police department in the Police Memorial Garden. The ceremony included representatives from NASA, the U.S. Forest Service, Congressman Vern Ehlers, and Jane Cliff, daughter of Ed Cliff, Forest Service chief who worked with Stuart Roosa on the Moon Trees project.

Officer Bartone and Congressman Ehlers at the rededication