Southern Utah University Receives Moon Tree from NASA
Published: May 29, 2025 | Author: Abbie Cochrane | Read Time: 4 minutes
In May of 2024, Southern Utah University became the recipient of the second Moon Tree in the state of Utah, with the first one residing in Lone Peak. In May of 2025, the SUU STEM Center held a celebration to honor the one-year anniversary of being entrusted with the Moon Tree and to name the leafy green astronaut. This gift was presented by NASA and was celebrated with a naming ceremony, a dedication, and more activities in partnership with Cedar Breaks and the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (PITU).
Considered a great honor among the scientific community, the concept of the Moon Tree originated in 1971 on the Apollo 14 mission, when astronaut Stuart Roosa brought five different kinds of tree seeds with him into space. The seeds were later germinated and planted back on Earth and are still in existence today. The tradition of the Moon Trees continued fifty years later in 2022 when the Artemis I mission brought more seeds into orbit.
"Getting a Moon Tree was a little bit difficult because we had to go through a grant and artifact grant process. We had to do a big write up about how a Moon Tree would benefit the community, and it took about a year for us to get approved,” said Dylan Kirklin, director of the STEM Center. In order for an organization to receive a Moon Tree, they must be of a certain size and they have to prove that they are able to care for and protect the botanical wonder.
The celebration consisted of activities geared towards children, starting with a naming ceremony for the tree. Lynn Hicken, assistant director of the STEM Center, led the ceremony and officially introduced the guests to Ayla, the sweetgum Moon Tree, whose name means “halo around the moon.” Even though sweetgum trees are not native to southern Utah, Ayla’s survival of her first Cedar City winter symbolizes endurance and thriving in any circumstance.
"I am so excited that we got a Moon Tree,” Hicken said. “It’s so neat that we have been entrusted to be stewards of something so special. It’s such a rare and unique gift to have something that has been to space and back."
Other activities included a series of crafts, such as building a paper rocket and crafting a picture of the moon. Guests were also able to experience a mobile planetarium and a zero-gravity bungee trampoline, or get their picture taken in the photo booth. Local author Elaine Vickers regaled young audiences through reading a book about the Moon Tree, right next door to the brand new Moon Tree exhibit at the Frehner Museum. Cedar Breaks was also in on the fun, hosting an eclipse activity. Guests received a checklist upon arrival with all the opportunities for fun on SUU’s campus and after checking off several of the activities, they were able to get a little prize.
Autumn Gillard from the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah hosted the exhibit at the Frehner Museum, and gave a presentation about how the moon is viewed through a cultural perspective, including the beliefs and folklore from her community about the relationship between the moon and other celestial bodies.
“As a Southern Paiute, one thing that makes this Moon Tree so special is recognizing how connected a tree or a plant is to our culture. We believe plants can speak our language and their connection to our cultural landscape is so important,” said Gillard. “The Moon Tree having gone outside our Earth’s atmosphere is definitely very significant. When I look at the Moon Tree, I see it as a symbol of strength as well as determination for that plant to be able to go up there and then come back to earth and grow.”
Today, the Moon Trees serve as a symbolic representation of the continued exploration of the boundaries of what humanity observes as outer space and as a testament to the importance and power of conservation efforts towards the big blue planet that mankind calls home. SUU offers its sincerest thanks to all who participated in the Moon Tree celebration and to NASA for their generosity in gifting Ayla to the institution and for helping inspire a new generation of thinkers to continue pushing the boundaries of exploration and possibility.
The SUU STEM Center for Teaching and Learning is dedicated to cultivating an environment for learning in southern Utah and collaborates with the state, schools, local businesses, and the community to provide free and effective experiences and teaching for K-12 students. Check the event calendar to see what activities are happening with the SUU STEM Center.
The mission of the Frehner Museum of Natural History is centered around researching and collecting natural science specimens, and providing interactive exhibits that illuminate humanity's interconnectedness with the natural world. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission to the museum is free to the public.
Tags: Cedar City Campus College of Natural Sciences College of Engineering and Computational Sciences CurStu FacStaff Community STEM Center STEM
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