OLYMPIA - Three new “moon trees” will take root on the Capitol Campus this week.

Department of Enterprise Services (DES) crews are preparing the corner of 11th Avenue and Capitol Way for the trees, which will be ceremonially planted at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 by members of the Washington Community Forestry Council.

To the moon and back

After Thursday, the campus will have four “moon trees.”

During the 1971 Apollo 14 moon mission, Douglas fir seeds were transported to the moon. The first Washington state “moon tree” was later planted as a seedling on the Capitol Campus as part of the U.S. Bicentennial Celebrations in 1976. The three new moon trees were grafted from the original. More information can be found on this web page.

Planting 100 new trees

Thursday’s activity is part of a larger tree planting effort. DES and the Department of Natural Resources are partnering to plant 100 trees on the Capitol Campus as part of a challenge from the National Association of State Foresters in commemoration of the organization’s 100th anniversary. About half of the trees have been planted so far.