KOAT 7ABC
Updated: 6:21 PM MDT Aug 9, 2019
Santa Fe, NM
The
mystery of New Mexico’s missing moon trees may be solved.
Former
New Mexico First Lady Clara Apodaca believes that a Douglas Fir tree surrounded
by other trees and shrubs in a grassy area north of the state capitol is a moon
tree.
She
should know. She helped plant it 43 years ago.
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Former New Mexico First Lady Clara Apodaca rediscovers a moon tree! |
“That's it,” Apodaca said while pointing at the four-story tall tree. “That's the moon tree from New Mexico.”
Five trees that were grown from seeds taken to the moon during the 1971 Apollo 17 moon landing were given to New Mexico.
They were
planted in Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Silver City, Capitan and at the state
Capitol in Santa Fe.
A Target
7 investigation discovered that no one kept track of these trees, at least
three had died and no one was sure whether any were living.
After
KOAT reported earlier this year story aired, Target 7 reached out to the former
first lady. She is seen in a 1976 article receiving a moon tree sapling that
was to be planted. Newspaper accounts have her at two planting ceremonies.
“Yeah
that’s me,” Apodaca said when she saw her picture. “Oh my God.”
Officials
at the state Capitol had a naturalist look at a tree they believed was the moon
tree. It’s species and age matched.
They took
Target 7 and Apodaca to the tree.
“My kids
tease me, ‘only mom would remember that far back’,” Apodaca said. “I remember
everything."
As soon
as Apodaca saw the tree, she had a feeling.
That’s
it. I am sure. I am sure that’s it,” she said, staring at the tree just outside
of the Round House. “Look how tall it is. It is beautiful.”
Apodaca
said she believes there should be a rededication ceremony and a plaque put by
the tree.
“I am
excited we found it,” Apodaca said. “I am excited you guys called me. I am
excited Channel 7 is doing this in-depth inventory of the trees because people
don't know. The new generation doesn’t know anything about these moon trees.”
New
Mexico could have one other living moon tree in Silver City’s Gough Park. It
was an American sycamore, and it was planted by Silver City native and Apollo
17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt.
Target 7
reached out to the astronaut and he couldn't remember planting the tree, but
there is only one American sycamore in Gough Park, so it could very well be, a
living moon tree.