Plano Senior High School New
Home to Apollo 'Moon Tree'

November 6, 2009

A "moon tree" has landed at Plano Senior High School (PSHS), bringing NASA officials who spoke to students about caring for the environment in a global sense.

NASA officials, Plano Senior High School students, staff and the PSHS LASER (Learning About Science and Research) and Environmental clubs celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Program at a Moon Tree dedication ceremony held on November 4 at the school.

About the Moon Trees

The Apollo 14 launched on January 31, 1971 and was the third trip to the lunar surface. Five days later Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on the moon while Stuart 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 for a NASA/USFA joint project. Known as the "Moon Trees," the resulting seedlings were planted throughout the United States and the world.

The young sycamore "moon tree" will be nurtured and cared for by students in the LASER and Environmental clubs.		Karen Shepherd, PSHS science department chair, wore a flight suit presented to her during a NASA educator camp in 2006.

These trees stand as a tribute to astronaut Roosa and the Apollo program. American Forests, the nation's oldest conservation organization, continues the legacy of this Apollo-era program by maintaining second generation Moon Trees and making them available through its Historic Trees Program.

Although Moon Trees have been planted throughout the United States, the sycamore is the first to be planted at a North Texas school.

T-shirts designed and sold by LASER and Environmental club students bore the quote: "We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth." -William Anders Lunar module pilot Apollo 8

NASA Presents to 1,200 PSHS Students

Following the morning tree dedication ceremony, Kristen Erickson, NASA director of communication planning, spoke to some 1,200 students during their class periods throughout the day about NASA's mission to acquire more scientists to protect our future.

I believe this tree can become symbolic of the Plano Senior High School experience because this school has been the seed of inspiration and imagination for thousands of students," she told students. "Similarly, the seeds that NASA has planted in the space program have sowed nothing short of miracles and accomplishment, reaching far beyond the extraordinary technology that launched men and women into space time and again."

Ms. Erickson led students through exploration exercises designed to discover areas of science that are important to them. She explained to students career choices that are in high demand, like engineering and biology, and encouraged them to pursue college degrees in science and math fields. And, she shared recent hubble photos with students.

Kristen Erickson shared NASA resources and Web links with students.

School Clubs Lead Moon Tree Effort

Karen Shepherd, Plano Senior High School science department chair and LASER Club sponsor, wore the flight suit that she was presented while attending a 2006 NASA International Space Camp Educator Academy in Huntsville, Alabama, when she was Texas Teacher of the Year.

Karen commented that the moon tree planting and NASA visit prompted discussions among students about the environmental movement and science careers. "Once we saw the first picture of that giant blue marble against the blue background, that changed our views of the Earth," Ms. Shepherd said of space exploration. "I reminded my students that science is an expensive endeavor, but one that is very much worth it for our safety. It is our scientific mind in the United States that keeps us ahead of the rest of the world."

Ms. Shepherd and Kim Wolff, Advanced Placement Environmental Systems teacher and Environmental Club sponsor, helped plan the tree dedication ceremony, along with Nancy Erickson, PSHS counselor and sister of NASA's Kristen Erickson.