RICHLAND, Wash. – The Reach Museum’s Pauline Schafer introduced the Artemis tree project during the Richland Parks and Recreation Commission’s July 9 meeting.
The project involves planting a sycamore tree grown from seeds that orbited the moon during NASA’s Artemis 1 mission.
This initiative honors local astronaut Kayla Barron and aims to symbolize Richland’s legacy in science and innovation.
Originally intended for Richland High School, the tree will now find a home in one of Richland’s parks, with Howard Amon Park and John Dam Plaza as potential locations.
The community will be involved through educational programs and citizen science initiatives, allowing residents to monitor the tree’s growth and participate in data collection.
The tree is currently being nurtured in a nursery and is expected to be ready for planting by next spring.
