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A group of employees gathered this Earth Day for a brief ceremony to dedicate NCI Frederick’s Moon Tree and celebrate the spirit of scientific discovery.
The campus’ Moon Tree is a sweetgum sapling. It was cultivated from a collection of seeds carried into lunar orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft during the 2022 Artemis I mission.
Adam Leaman, senior project manager in Facilities Maintenance and Engineering who co-chairs the Green Team Campus Improvement Committee, and NCI Associate Director Kristin Komschlies, Ph.D., gave remarks about the tree’s significance and story.
Leaman and Helene Highbarger, Green Team Campus Improvement Committee member and scientist in the Virus Isolation and Serology Laboratory, formalized the dedication by watering the tree.
“As we water this Moon Tree, we are reminded that this simple act represents far more than caring for a seedling,” Komschlies said. “It symbolizes nurturing the spirit of exploration, collaboration, and discovery that defines our work here at NCI Frederick.”
NCI Frederick employees aren’t astronauts, but they share the same desire to make scientific advances for the good of humanity. Senior leaders and the Green Team Campus Improvement Committee hope the tree will be an abiding reminder of that.
The committee acquired this Moon Tree for NCI Frederick in 2024 via a program managed by NASA and the Department of Agriculture Forest Service. NASA and the Forest Service have similarly distributed hundreds of saplings to other institutions.
Facilities Maintenance and Engineering collaborated with subcontractor Ruppert Landscape to select the site for the tree, plant it, and erect protective fences in October 2024.
“I want to extend my gratitude to Helene Highbarger for coordinating the overall Moon Tree effort and Thom Tousignaut, Chris Furbay, Woodrow Smith, and Dwayne Atherton for their efforts in getting the tree planted and protected,” Leaman said.
The current Moon Tree program began after Orion returned to Earth in December 2022. It’s patterned after the original program, which began after the Apollo 14 mission in 1971, one year before NCI Frederick was established, Leaman said.
According to NASA, Moon Trees are meant to serve as living monuments and educational resources. They are equal parts teaching tools and laurels of human perseverance and ingenuity.
“Just as its seeds journeyed through space before being planted here, our mission at NCI Frederick grows from discovery into lasting impact. Its resilience reflects the same strength required in cancer research—to face challenges, adapt, and keep moving forward,” Komschlies said.
The dedication was originally planned for September 2025 but was rescheduled to Earth Day this year.
“We hope that everyone can make their own personal connections to this tree and what it represents,” Leaman said.
Read more about the Moon Tree’s story here: It Came (Back) from Outer Space: The Unusual Journey of NCI Frederick’s Newest Sweetgum Sapling
Samuel Lopez leads the editorial team in Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media (SPGM). He writes for newsletters; informally serves as an institutional historian; and edits scientific manuscripts, corporate documents, and sundry other written media. SPGM is the creative services department and hub for editing, illustration, graphic design, formatting, and multimedia.
