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Sprouted from seeds that journeyed around the Moon aboard Apollo 14 in February 1971, “Moon Trees” planted across the United States endure as living reminders of Apollo-era’s part of a national STEM Engagement and conservation education initiative. Source: Timberbiz Apollo 14 launched in the late afternoon of 13 January 1971 on what was to be the third trip to the lunar surface. Five days later Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on the Moon while Stuart Roosa, a former US Forest Service (USFS) smoke jumper, orbited above in the command module. Packed in small containers in Roosa’s personal kit were hundreds of tree seeds, part of a joint NASA/USFS project. Upon return to Earth, the seeds were germinated by the Forest Service. Known as the Apollo “Moon Trees”, the resulting seedlings were planted throughout the United States (often as part of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976) and the world. They stand as a tribute to astronaut Roosa and the Apollo program. The project began after Roosa was chosen for the Apollo 14 mission. Ed Cliff, Chief of the Forest Service, knew of Stuart Roosa from his days as a smokejumper and contacted him about bringing seeds into space. Stan Krugman of the Forest Service was put in charge of the project and selected the seeds for the experiment. Seeds were chosen from five different types of trees: loblolly pine, sycamore, sweetgum, redwood, and Douglas fir. The seeds were classified and sorted and sealed in small plastic bags that were stored in a metal canister. Control seeds were kept on Earth for later comparison. Roosa carried possibly 2,000 or more seeds in the canister in his personal kit, a small canvas pouch that stayed with him as he orbited the Moon in the command module “Kitty Hawk” in February, 1971. Unfortunately, the seed bags burst open during the decontamination procedures after their return to Earth, and the seeds were scattered about the chamber and exposed to vacuum, and it was thought they might not be viable. Stan Krugman collected the seeds and an attempt at germinating some of the seeds was made in Houston. Somewhat surprisingly, it proved successful and the seeds started growing, but they did not survive long because the facilities there were inadequate. A year later the remaining seeds were sent to the southern Forest Service station in Gulfport, Mississippi (sycamore, loblolly pine, and sweetgum) and to the western station in Placerville, California (redwood and Douglas fir) to attempt germination. Many of the seeds, and later cuttings, were successful and grew into viable seedlings. Some of these were planted with their Earth-bound counterparts as controls, (as might be expected, after over forty years there is no discernible difference) but most were given away in 1975 and 1976 to many state forestry organizations to be planted as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration. These trees were southern and western species, so not all states received trees. A loblolly pine was planted at the White House, and trees were planted in Brazil, Switzerland, and presented to the Emperor of Japan, among others. Trees have also been planted in Washington Square in Philadelphia, at Valley Forge, in the International Forest of Friendship, and at various universities and NASA centres, reportedly in 40 different states.

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Understanding where agricultural commodities come from, and how they move through supply chains, is increasingly important for companies, public institutions and other actors involved in trade and due diligence. Source: Timberbiz WHIMO — short for “What Is My Origin” — is an open-source app designed to help supply-chain actors record commodity transactions and exchange basic traceability information as goods move from origin to destination. The tool focuses on a simple idea: when a commodity changes hands, relevant information should be able to move with it. In WHIMO, users record transactions such as purchases, collections, sales or deliveries. These records include basic details such as the commodity, volume, date and, where available, farm geolocation data. WHIMO is designed for supply-chain actors such as cooperatives, local aggregators, transporters, processors, traders and exporters. Farmers are not required to use the app directly, although they may provide geolocation information, for example through a QR code. The tool is available in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and can be downloaded on Android and iOS devices. WHIMO is particularly relevant in supply chains where information is fragmented, incomplete or held by different actors. The tool allows users to start recording transactions even when not all information is available. It also makes traceability gaps visible, helping users understand where in-formation is complete, partial or missing. WHIMO does not assess deforestation risk, evaluate legality or guarantee compliance with regulations. Its role is more specific: to support the collection, transfer and review of traceability data in a practical and consistent way. This information may then support broader due diligence processes, depending on users’ needs and responsibilities. WHIMO includes mobile and web components. Transactions are recorded through the mobile app, while the web platform allows users to review da-ta, explore basic analytics and download records for further use. The tool is open source, which means that institutions or organisations can also adapt the source code to develop their own version, depending on their context and data governance needs. More information here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVpQCSRwP-8

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