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    TerrestrialsThe Travelers Update: A Moon Tree Grows in New York
    40 minEpisode 43

    The Travelers Update: A Moon Tree Grows in New York

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    The director of horticulture at Madison Square Park, Stephanie Lucas, spends her days caring for over 300 trees in the heart of New York City. One day in 2022, she saw a callout from NASA giving away seeds that had traveled to the moon. This would be the crown jewel of the park! She and her team worked hard on their application, submitted it, and then waited for two years. Eventually they gave up. Until one day, Stephanie got a call from NASA telling her to check her spam inbox.

    The tree - an American sweetgum - has been growing in the park for a year. Lulu and Producerbud Ana went to see it, met Stephanie, and imagined how this little sapling might grow one day.

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    © WNYC StudiosLength 40 min2 July 2026Episode 43ScienceNatureAdventureUSAStory

    Terrestrials: A New Kids Show from Radiolab

    Terrestrials: A New Kids Show from Radiolab

    This is a serialised ongoing story, so jumping in at episode 10, for example, could confuse matters.

    Listen to episode one here
    6-1011+ScienceNatureAdventureUSAStory2 July 2026© WNYC Studios

    The director of horticulture at Madison Square Park, Stephanie Lucas, spends her days caring for over 300 trees in the heart of New York City. One day in 2022, she saw a callout from NASA giving away seeds that had traveled to the moon. This would be the crown jewel of the park! She and her team worked hard on their application, submitted it, and then waited for two years. Eventually they gave up. Until one day, Stephanie got a call from NASA telling her to check her spam inbox. A week later, a cardboard box arrived at the park.

    The tree - an American sweetgum - has been growing in the park for a year. Lulu and Producerbud Ana went to see it, met Stephanie, and imagined how this little sapling might grow one day.

    If you’d like to see it yourself with the Terrestrials team, come to our Moon Tree Launch Party happening from 4-8 PM on July 16th at Madison Square Park! It’s FREE, open to the public, and full of moon-tree magic: we’ll be showcasing our Moon Tree drawing contest submissions, inviting park-goers to make their own art, and giving folks a chance to meet Songbud Alan (who may or may not have a real half Moon Tree seed). See you there!

    We also hear a brand-new poem from New York State Poet Laureate Kimiko Hahn and revisit our episode about astronaut Stu “Smokey” Roosa and the origin story of Moon Trees.

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    © WNYC Studios |Original Episode URL. The content, artwork and advertising within this podcast is not owned or affiliated with Sound Carrot and remain the property of their respective owners.


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