Eagle Pointe Elementary School is celebrating the arrival of a very special tree. This tree was grown from a seed that traveled to the moon and back aboard NASA's Artemis 1 mission.
Fifth-grade teacher Lisa Packley applied to NASA for this unique tree in September 2023 and received the news in April 2024 that the school would be receiving one of the saplings.
Artemis 1, an unmanned mission launched in 2022, carried around 2,000 tree seeds on its journey around the moon and back to Earth.
These seeds were then planted and nurtured into saplings. Eagle Pointe is one of the recipients of these lunar-traveled saplings.
On May 17, the school’s fifth graders marked the occasion by burying a time capsule next to the newly planted tree on the school grounds.
The students took turns adding dirt and mulch around the tree, commemorating the planting with a ceremony that celebrated both their new tree and the historical journey it represents.
NASA chose the recipients based on their ability to care for the tree and their ability to maximize educational opportunities around the life and growth of the tree.
“This is truly a gift to bridge us into science, technology, and innovation,” Packley said. “Students will be able to study the way the leaves grow, how the soil changes for years to come."
“The tree is truly connecting us to a bigger part of our universe.”
