Tree with ‘1.5-million-mile resume' highlighted in Hunterdon County park
Known as the Space Shuttle Tree, the Pinus strobus-Eastern White Pine found a home at the Arboretum Garden at 1020 Highway 31 in Lebanon after its seeds traveled on the Space Shuttle Columbia.
New Jersey native and NASA astronaut Gregory T. Linteris brought the seeds with him during the STS-83 mission in April 1997. The seeds traveled over 1.5 million miles at 17,500 miles per hour before they were germinated by the New Jersey Forest Service.
One seedling found its forever home in Hunterdon County on Arbor Day, April 29, 2011, where it continues to thrive today.
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'This tree is a symbol of what's possible when science and nature come together — it's not every day that a tree with a 1.5-million-mile resume finds its place in our garden,' said Commissioner Director Lanza in a release. 'We hope the Space Shuttle Tree inspires both kids and adults to come visit the Arboretum grounds and see for themselves the product of innovation and environmental stewardship.'
'Eastern White Pines have been present in North America for thousands of years, with their seeds often spread by migratory songbirds,' said Division Head of Parks & Recreation Ryan Preston in a release. 'The Space Shuttle tree has a more thrilling origin — it traveled 184 miles into space. Here at Hunterdon County Parks and Recreation, we strive to combine education and exploration in a meaningful way, and this tree is a perfect example of such a union.'
Go: Arboretum Garden, 1020 Highway 31, Lebanon; bit.ly/4l1cbKl.
Staff Reporter Jenna Intersimone: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Tree that went to outer space highlighted at Hunterdon arboretum
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