Greetings Friends! It’s been a while- with getting our Climate Corps up and running, things have taken a backseat, but on this 150th Anniversary of Arbor Day, I felt compelled to share a post.
The Original Space Shuttle Pine, April 2012
Arbor Day 2012, Walters Park
Over the years, I have planted thousands of trees alongside our Corpsmembers. Some big, some seedlings – but one tree will always be the most unique and treasured one to me. Ten years ago today, we planted our ‘Space Shuttle Pine’ - a special tree grown from seeds that had flown on a Space Shuttle Columbia mission to determine the results of weightlessness on seed germination.
A gift to the Town of Phillipsburg, then Shade Tree Commission President John Lynn won the tree at a raffle at a conference and decided it best to be shared with the community. In a small but special ceremony in Walters Park, a few CM’s and I planted to the tree with a certain reverence and appreciation.
Documents and a plaque from the 2012 Planting
Tre Tree after being pulled off the roof - before the grafting.
Flash-forward to August of 2014 - Less than 2 years in its place, we discovered that vandals had broken the crown of the tree off leaving only the stump. Feeling the job wasn’t quite done, they even took the effort to climb on top of the roof of the public restroom – and stick the tree into the plumbing vent stack. We were stunned that someone would so callously disregard something so special. I was surprised at myself feeling as heartbroken as I did.
2nd year growth, post grafting
In a desperate attempt to save the tree - we stuck it in water and brought it to the equivalent of an emergency room for plants - our friend Don at his family’s nursery. He was honest with us – our ‘patient’ wasn’t looking too good – but he promised he would do what he could. Working his magic by using cuttings from the ‘Space Tree’, Don grafted 15 cuttings in hopes we might be able to salvage something from this special tree.
Space Shuttle Pine v 2.0!
We were patient, crossed our fingers and let nature go to work. Don was careful not to disturb them to give them the best chance to take. Much to his and our surprise, a few did quite well! Flash forward 7 1/2 years later, Don dropped off one of the trees to us to plant today - it had grown to a height of almost 5 feet tall- Don had truly pulled off a miracle!
Today, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day, we planted the Space Shuttle Pine v 2.0 - again (it feels strange to say that). Even though a decade has passed, our love for this ‘Little Pine That Could’ had only grown. If good fortune continues to shine down on us, the Space Shuttle Pine will continue to grow as well.
A lot of good fortune needed to take place for this to happen - but the life of this tree is an apt metaphor for the lives of some of our Corpsmembers. This tree, which already had traveled a distance of over a million miles before coming to us, after being carefully planted in an ideal environment for growth so that the community could share it - experienced trauma in such a way that by all measures should have ended it. But, to quote Dr. Malcolm (portrayed by Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park), “Life …finds a way.”
Delaware River Climate Corps members Gavin, Sanaya and Helen (l. to r.) plant the resurrected tree today.
The tree looks good, but just the transition from container to its new home reveals a certain vulnerability – it still relies on a stake for support to stand straight. Although the tree has been resurrected, its continued growth and progress are tentative. It was only through the caring hands of the community that gave it a chance to heal, root and thrive - the longitudinal aspect of the recovery process cannot be overstated. Resiliency is a trait that comes from experiencing dramatic changes but requires incredible efforts and incredible support systems to attain.
It's odd to think of a tree in a familial way, but this tree is a part of our Youth Corps family- as well as the community. Being in the presence of this little tree is very much like being with a friend – with an incredible story to tell. Let’s hope we all grow old together -
More soon – Until then, Live Long…and Prosper!
Michael