Patrick Elementary School Moon Tree

Hampton, Virginia

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) planted at Albert W. Patrick III Elementary School (formerly Booker Elementary) in Hampton Virginia on 30 April 1976. The tree was given to the school as the result of a poetry contest, won by sixth grader Marjorie White for her poem entitled "A Tree Lives" (below). A rededication ceremony was held on 13 June 2006 and a sign was put up next to the tree (see pictures). The sign says "Moon (Sycamore) Tree - Grown from seeds taken to the Moon aboard Apollo 14 in 1971 - Seedling planted on April 30, 1976 Rededicated June 13, 2006". For more on the ceremony, see the 14 June 2006 Daily Press Article.

The tree is located in the school courtyard at 37° 3.423' N, 76° 20.230' W.

Top left photograph courtesy of Buddy Norris/Daily Press.
Other photographs courtesy of Barbara Jones and Mrs. Maravillas.

A Tree Lives - Marjorie White

A tree is born unto this world
It sprouts out of the ground
Silently, slowly
Without a sound

The tree is a sapling
With many leaves so green
They blow in the breeze
As if fighting to be seen

The tree is a big oak
All straight and strong
With 20 rings to count
This tree will live long

The tree on the farm
Is the home of a wren
And down at the trunk
Pecks the old hen

The tree is old
But still is so strong
It provides children with play
As they climb all day long

The tree provides shade
For people to lie
And talk to each other
When evening comes by

100 years have gone by
The people are dead
The farm is all weeds
But there's a forest instead

But this tree is king
Of trees all around
It rises quite high
100 feet off the ground

The lumberjacks - come
And chop down the tree
And use it for wood
For you and for me

The tree is gone
The tree is dead
But in it's place
Stands a new tree instead

Article on the Moon Tree Rededication Ceremony - Daily Press (Courtesy Wayback Machine)
Patrick Elementary School Moon Tree - Waymarking Geocache Site
Albert W. Patrick III Elementary School Website

History of the Sycamore Moon Trees
Moon Tree Home Page

NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 7 June 2024, DRW