This Moon Tree at Oregon State University was under construction today ? but we were not deterred from taking a picture with it. Check out that plaque! This is our fourth moon tree picture, and our second Douglas Fir. I’m really proud of the work we’ve put into his sit-stay for #obedience. One of our #whpresolutions2018 is to visit a Redwood moon tree.
Before he became an astronaut, Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa was a smokejumper (one of the brave firefighters who parachute in to fight wildfires.) On January 31, 1971, he brought 500 seeds aboard #Apollo14 as a tribute to the US #ForestService. While Alan Shepard was busy playing golf on the moon, Roosa stayed aboard to do SCIENCE.
Unfortunately, the seed container was accidentally exposed to vacuum during decontamination procedures. ? Dear reader, the canister EXPLODED. ? None of the seeds were expected to survive. However, the Forest Service decided to give them a chance. They carefully separated all five species of tree seeds and divided them between two Forest Service stations, one in California and one in Mississippi.
To their astonishment most of the seeds germinated. Most of the trees were planted around the country as part of the US bicentennial celebration in 1976. Out of over 400 seedlings, around 50 trees are still alive and accounted for. Any near you?
MOON TREE LOG
✔️✔️ Douglas Fir
✔️ Sycamore
✔️ Loblolly Pine
❌ Sweetgum
❌ Redwood
Original post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BdT_u6WAEso/