DRACUT — Superintendent Steven Stone and Principal Monica Poitras are pleased to share that Brookside Elementary will be home to a “Moon Tree.” The school will be the first in Massachusetts to receive the tree in almost 50 years.
“Moon Trees” are seeds from seven different tree species that were carried to the moon. The tradition started in 1971, when lunar module pilot Stuart Roosa carried seeds aboard the Apollo 14 mission. The seeds orbited the moon during the eight-day mission and were returned to Earth and planted all around the globe, serving as symbols of human exploration and scientific achievement.
The seedling received by Brookside Elementary is an Artemis I Sweetgum that flew aboard Artemis I in 2022. The seed traveled further than any spacecraft made for humans, totaling a 25-and-a-half day journey beyond the Moon and back.
This “moon tree” is the first to be planted in Massachusetts since 1976, when a tree was planted in Holliston.
The tree was assigned to Brookside by the USDA Forest Service and NASA. The school applied to receive a tree after the idea was brought to Principal Poitras’ attention by Grade 3 teacher Denise Porcello.
Brookside Elementary students gathered on Friday, Nov. 1, to welcome the tree to the school.
Jason Lampron of Mill City Iron Fabricators donated fencing materials to surround the tree. Management at Lowe’s Home Improvement in Salem, N.H., donated interior wire fencing and mulch.
“This tree represents possibilities, ideas, and dreams. It all started with a simple question from astronaut Stuart Roosa: could seeds germinate in space? This question led to the Moon Tree project, a symbol of curiosity and exploration,” said Principal Poitras. “We want to encourage our children to ask questions, be curious about the world around them, and believe in the possibilities of their dreams and ideas.”
“We hope this tree is a reminder to our students that no idea is too far-fetched to be achieved,” said Principal Poitras. “Brookside Elementary and Dracut Public Schools is proud to foster a learning environment of creative and innovative thinking, and this tree is a perfect representation of those values.”
