Park Seed Memories

Scenes from the Shuttle: LDEF Launch in 1984

While doing some online research, I stumbled across a really cool video about the STS-41C Challenger flight. That flight just happens to be the one that launched the LDEF and Park Seed Company's most famous Seeds in Space experiment, the second event in our 25+ year partnership with NASA. The LDEF is mentioned about 3 minutes into the video.

I also found an article, "Tomatoes from Space" written in 1991. The reporter, Edward Willett, talks about the SEEDS experience and the finding that the tomatoes and other vegetables grown from space seed were not noticibly affected at all by their 6-year stay in the extreme conditions of outer space.

As regular readers know, we are still actively involved with NASA and continue helping them recruit teachers and students for the current Seeds in Space project, the Lunar Plant Growth Chamber Engineering Challenge. This particular project involves experimenting with Cinnamon Basil seeds that have been in outer space.

If you aren't already involved, sign up now! And if your class is involved, I'd love to post your stories and pictures here! Email them to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com. Who knows--an astronaut might even salute your school!

Astronaut Barbara Morgan Gives Shout-Out to The Orchard School

  Last week, I was pleased and delighted to hear from an old friend I've never met. Just about a year ago, I connected with Holli Joyal, science teacher extraordinaire at The Orchard School in Indianapolis, IN. She and her colleagues led an extensive Seeds in Space project for their students, and I had great fun documenting their experiences in this blog. Go to "The Orchard School Takes on NASA's Challenge in a Big Way" to see how our relationship started. Although we've never met in person, I feel like Holli and I are friends and partners in helping kids get excited about science, school, space, and growing things! [Some of those kids are pictured below.]

I guess Holli must feel the same way, because she wrote to me to see about working together again on another big educational adventure for the young people of Indianapolis. Iwon't spill the beans on that project just yet, though. Today, I want to share a fantastic story that Holli told me that kind of puts the cherry on top of the sundae when it comes to our earlier Seeds in Space efforts.

One of the high points of that effort was when I actually had a telephone call from Barbara Morgan, the Educator Astronaut who carried our Cinnamon Basil seeds into space aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour as part of mission STS 118. Holli and I were both amazed and thrilled that Ms Morgan was aware of our project. It turns out that we really made a lasting impression! Here, let Holli tell the rest of the story:

By the way, I didn't get a chance to tell you last year, that while at NSTA in Boston, I went to the aerospace educators luncheon where Barbara Morgan and Sally Ride were speaking. Barbara led with the Plant Growth Chamber Project, and I almost choked on my dessert when she mentioned this school in Indianapolis that had taken the project so much further than anyone had imagined with the help of Park Seed Company. While it is not like me to go stand up, unsolicited in front of large groups of people, when they opened it up for questions, with these microphones ensconced in the middle of 500 people, I went up. I was the last question, but instead told her that the school she was talking about was me and how much just her phone call meant in the midst of many of our plants not growing because of the harsh conditions we subjected them to. She yelled out, "It's You!", told her boss she had not planted me in the audience, and went on with her genuine, effusive praise.

Thanks for making that possible. My kids were heads over heels and for me it cements this way we are now trying to teach, which is to use the Engineering Design process and have real clients for these kids to empower them to be part of their own developing future.

WOW! Pretty cool, huh?! Thank you Holli, for passing along that wonderful story and letting me share it here. I'm always happy to hear from educators involved with Seeds in Space or who are otherwise incorporating gardening and horticulture into their classroom activities. Send pictures and stories to me at ckuhl@parkseed.com, and I'll proudly post them here. Who knows...a famous astronaut might even recognize your work someday!

LDEF Memories--like Space Seeds--are Still Fresh

Back at the end of July, I shared a story about harvesting fresh veggies grown from 25-year-old tomato seeds that flew in outer space as part of our Seeds in Space LDEF adventure. I'm happy to report that Mr. Charles Bailey wrote back with more LDEF memories and more pictures of his amazing out-of-this-world tomato plants.

"Hello, Claire!

"I was pleasantly surprised to hear from you. I thought maybe LDEF was old hat by now. You certainly may use my email messages in your blog. I am attaching some additional pictures my wife took as the young plants grew.

"We have kept the seeds sealed in the original package in a plastic zip-lock bag in the refrigerator with the exception of a 2-week period we were without power following Hurricane Isabel.

"The LDEF retrieval project was loads of fun. Two quick stories:

"When the LDEF was first retrieved from space, and we had placed it into its rotational transportation trailer [see above], it was moved into a clean room at KSC [Kennedy Space Center] called Safe 2. We removed the external panels that allowed the LDEF to be moved outside from O&C to Safe 2, and placed the LDEF in a rotational mode. For some 20 days or so, the LDEF was rotated, and each PI (principle investigator) could visually examine his or her experiment. One morning shortly after these examinations had begun, a black liquid was found pooling under the LDEF. Of course, this was cause for much speculation as to what may have been caught in the LDEF in space that now was escaping in our atmosphere. There were no liquids on board at launch, and no apparent cause from ground-based equipment. Analysis quickly determined that a solid filler in some coax cabling coiled in one PI's experiment had deteriorated, frozen in space, and melted in reentry and the heat of Florida. At least that's the story they told us.

"The next event that I remember quite well is when finally we were ready to take the first experiment off LDEF and let each PI inspect and place it in its shipping container to be returned to the PI's lab. (And if memory serves me well, it was the Park Seed experiment that came off first.)  That morning, we had set up scaffolding to access the mid position of the segmented round LDEF. A special lifting device supported by the Safe 2 overhead crane was attached to the experiment. The retaining plates and bolts were removed and the experiment was gently nudged out of the frame LDEF was made of. Prior to this, at least 50 or 75 news people had crowded into Safe 2 near where this event was happening. All of us and all of the news people were dressed in clean room clothing, they with their still and motion cameras focused on this event. We were very nervous, this being the first experiment removed and so many witnesses, and as it gradually came loose and moved ever so slowly from the LDEF into the surrounding air, applause, hoots and hollers erupted from the news group, as well as all the bystanders. I can tell you the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as the significance of this event was so moving. Obviously all went well--we got the Park Seed container down to the ground and into a holding device. A special investigative group (SIG) got the first look at it, as they were documenting meteorite hits as to numbers, size, and locations. After that and the Park Seed PI was happy, it was placed in a metal shipping container and shipped back to Park Seed.

"Thanks again for your response,
"Charles Bailey"

Gosh, thank YOU, Charles, for sharing these first-hand memories with us! The historic pictures above were taken by our own Ron Breazeale who likewise has powerful memories of this intense experience. If you were or ARE a Seeds in Space teacher, student, or NASA associate, I'd love to share your memories here! Email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com and feel free to attach digital photos.

Space Tomatoes, Fresh from the Vine

A while back, my NASA contact, Jon, asked how long our space seed will remain viable in a classroom environment. In his answer, Dr. Jim Alston pointed out that if you kept the seeds in a sealed container in a cool place, they could theoretically last a long time. Well, folks, today I have real experimental data to suggest just how long seal space seed can last! Jim received this very unexpected email with pictures attached (see tomatos left and tall tomato plant below):

Hi,
I am a retired NASA technician that was on the LDEF retrieval team in 1990. I later received a package of seeds that were distributed to schools around the country. The seeds sat in my refrigerator until this spring (2008), and my wife--who usually plants some tomatoes in her flower garden--decided to see if the seeds would germinate. I am happy to report after all these years that they grew and have produced tomatoes. I am attaching pictures to prove it. The seeds were labeled "Canister 4; Layer-A,B,C,& D MIXED." I would be interested to know if these flew or were in the control group.

Thanks and Congratulations,
Charles Bailey

Holy guacamole, friends--those are some pretty old seeds to be sprouting and growing so well! Here's Doc Alston's response about whether these specific seeds orbited the Earth or stayed safely home in our vault as part of the control group, and his calculation of how old they really are:

Charles,
Good to hear from you and the almost-forgotten tomato seed. The seed that you received were flight seed. The seed in each canister was divided into layers, with layer 'A' being toward space. Your packet was a mix of the 4 layers and was used for the elementary school distribution.

The seed were in flight from 1984 to 1990 and had been produced in 1983, so the seed was/is 25 years old. Did you observe anything unusual about the plants or the fruit?

Thanks for sharing.
Jim

Naturally, I've contacted Mr. Bailey to see if he has more stories to tell about his adventures as a NASA technician. Stay tuned!

STS-118 Student Scientists: 1 Million Strong and Still Growing!

We've been following the latest Seeds in Space adventures in this blog for a while now. In fact, we've had some wonderful pictures and stories from kids around the country, including Allenton, Wisconsin; Providence, Rhode Island. and Indianapolis, Indiana. These teachers and students have all been using Cinnamon Basil seed that visited outer space via Space Shuttle Endeavour as part of the STS-118 mission.

Well, yesterday, I received an email from NASA, forwarded by the esteemed Doc Alston, our Director of Research and Quality Assurance and our liaison to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. One of our key contacts, a delightful gentleman named Jon, sent us an update on the program and also asked a very good question. Jon was kind enough to allow me to share his message here:

"Jim:
"Hope all is going well at Park Seed.  I just wanted to give you a status on the impact the STS-118 seeds project has had on educators and students across the country.  We are quickly approaching 1 million students involved in this project.  The Engineering Design Challenge (in which students design, build and evaluate a growth chamber for future missions to the moon) is moving along very well.

"One question--any idea on how long the seeds will be viable if they are kept in relatively normal temperature and humidity levels (ie. a classroom)? 

"Thanks,
Jon"

Gosh--1 million students?!?! That's fantastic! Personally, I'd love to blog about about every one of  them here! And what about Jon's question? How long will the space and control seed remain viable, once they've been sent to schools around the country?

According to Jim, seeds kept sealed in a Park Seed package can survive 2-3 years, assuming a room temperature of around 78 degrees and humidity of around 36%. Now, if you take those same seed packs, seal them in a zipable plastic bag with all the air squeezed out, and put them in a refridgerator, the seeds can remain viable for up to 10 years! Remember--the reason space is a great place to keep seed is that they require air, water, and warmth to sprout. So a cold, airless place works really well for preserving seed.

Thanks for the information, Jim. Good to know. And Jon said that NASA has some STS-118 seed available. So teachers, Master Gardeners, students, and space fans, there is still time to sign up for the Engineering Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber. Start preparing now and you'll be all set for a great space adventure when school starts again.

And once you've begun your engineering design challenge, don't forget to send pictures and stories to me! Email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com to share your seeds in space experiments, experiences, and excitement. We love Seeds in Space--it's out of this world!

Young Scientists in Wisconsin Experiment with Space Seeds

Hooray--I'm on a roll! Today my mailbox yielded information from another team of terrific teachers who got involved with our NASA partnership, and planted the seeds of experimentation and adventure with their young charges. This time, we are hearing from Allenton Elementary School in Allenton, Wisconsin. Kindergarten teacher Donna Kauper contacted me a month or so ago to get some information, and at that time, I asked her to send something for this blog. Happily, she did! The article that follows is a write-up she prepared for parents attending Allenton's Activity Night.

Space Shuttle and Earth Seeds

Park Seed Company sponsored a seed-growing project using Cinnamon Basil seeds. One group of Cinnamon Basil seeds were flown on the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-118), which launched August 8, 2007 and returned to Earth on August 21, 2007. Another group of  Cinnamon Basil seeds remained in climate-controlled storage at Park Seed Co. in Greenwood, South Carolina, during the STS-118 mission.

Several teachers in our building took a video mini-course to learn about the seeds project.  The seeds were sent for and planted on February 21,2008. It is interesting to see the results of this project, which were grown under a variety of circumstances.

Mrs. Kauper’s Class planted their seeds, covered them with transparent Saran Wrap, and placed them on a soil warming blanket to help the seeds’ growth. The seeds sprouted on February 27th with 25 plants from Earth coming up and 17 plants sprouting from the space flight seeds. These plants started getting their second set of leaves during the week of March 25th. They are being grown by the added light of a lamp, as there is no direct sunlight available in our classroom. Students check the plants each day to see if there are any great changes. Currently, there are 21 space plants and 27 Earth plants growing under the light; they are about 3 inches tall.

Mrs. Wattenbach’s Class planted their seeds, covered them with blue-tinted Saran Wrap, and placed them on an eastern windowsill. These plants received sunlight in the morning and were exposed to a more chilling air radiating from the cold outside. They had 4 space flight plants sprout and 2  from the Earth sprout. Currently they have 3 space flight and 1 earth plant surviving and now sharing space with those under the light with Mrs. Kaupers’ plants.

The Second Grade Teachers have planted their seeds and placed them in the southern window areas in their classrooms. They found the space seeds came up first. They also had the cold air radiating from the window to contend with in affecting the growth of their plants. The classroom having the bumped-out window seemed to have the best success with plants sprouting.  Mrs. Jensen reported she currently has 4 space shuttle and 2 Earth plants growing in her classroom.

Currently, we are preparing to cut off the third set of leaves, so the plants will bush out more. It is an interesting project the students have been studying.###

Donna notes that the children have now taken their plants home.  Let's hope those students also took home a desire to explore science--and gardening--a little further!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Mrs. Kauper, Mrs. Wattenback, the Second Grade teachers, and all the young scientists at Allenton Elementary School--it was great hearing from you! And I've love to hear from even more Seeds in Space participants, no matter which of our many NASA adventures you experienced! Email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com with photos and memories!

Rhode Island Kids Experiment with Seeds in Space

It's always inspiring to hear from teachers who incorporate gardening into their curriculum. And for me, it's a special treat to hear from Seeds in Space participants. This week, I had a pleasant email exchange with the Science Department Chair from a school in Rhode Island. I'll let her speak for herself:

"Hello, Donna C. here from Gilbert Stuart Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island. We were one of the schools that received the seeds from the shuttle 118 launch.  I was also one of the teachers who got to see the launch.  I brought all the info back to my kids, and we followed the directions in the procedure.  I just wanted to let you know that the entire experience has been full of information and a joy!  However, when we received the seeds, most all of them were damaged. I think it may have been the mailing process since they were all actually crushed. We did however yield a total of 9 plants:  5 experimental and 4 controlled.  There is no difference that we have observed and recorded between the two. We were looking at the amount of light and growth rate.  They are receiving 12 hours of direct sun light and 12 of indirect to no sun light.

"I wonder if anyone else experienced the problem with the seeds?

"Anyway, thank you from our 8th grade class for letting us test the seeds.

"Donna C.
"Science Department Chair"

I contacted my colleagues at NASA, and they are pleased to hear about the students' success. Also, I've invited Donna and her students to share their stories and pictures with us, and as soon as we have permission from the participants' parents, I'll share them here with you. Stay tuned for another out-of-this-world experience from young scientists!

Did your or your school participate in any of Park Seed Company's Seeds in Space programs? I would love to hear from you and feature your story and pictures here. Just email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com or leave a comment.

How Many PhDs Does It Take to Open a Seeds in Space Seed Capsule?

Clearly, a 140-year-old company that has been partnering with NASA since 1983 is a company that always enjoys trying new things. The latest new thing that I'm working on as Special Projects Director for Park Seed is video.

A talented student from Piedmont Technical College is working as our videographer, and on her very first day of work, I asked her to film Dr. Kinard's visit. I further challenged her to create a video of the event that would tell part of the story of our Seeds in Space adventures. I think you will enjoy the result. And as you will see in the end, our clever student found a way to get herself into the act. So click here and enjoy our first-ever official Seeds in Space video!

Mail from The White House

It's not every day that you get an envelope that has The White House, Washington, D.C. as the return address. So Ron Breazeale, Park Seed Company's fabulous photographer, still remembers when the big, brown envelope arrived in 1992. Turns out that it contained a photograph of President George Herbert Walker Bush being given some packs of tomato seed.

But not just any old tomato seed!

President Bush is receiving packs of tomato seeds that spent six years in outer space as part of NASA's  Long Duration Exposure Facility test, or as we think of it here, the Seeds in Space LDEF adventure.

The mission that deployed the LDEF was officially known as STS-41C and was manned by Commander Robert L. Crippen, Pilot Francis R. Scobee, and Mission Specialists George D. Nelson, James D. A. von Hoften, and Terry J. Hart. I suspect that the astronauts shown above are the crew from the flight that retrieved the LDEF after its unexpectedly long stay in space. That would be mission STS-32, led by Commander Daniel C. Brandenstein, Pilot James D. Wetherbee, Mission Specialists Bonnie J. Dunbar, G. David Low and Marsha S. Ivins.

A big thank-you to Ron for sharing this artifact with us. He was helping me with another project that you'll probably see popping up here before too long--a video clip showing the seeds from one of our current seeds in space projects being delivered and opened right here at Park Seed's National Headquarters in Greenwood, SC.

If you are a student or teacher currently involved in NASA's Engineering Design Challange: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber, I would love to hear from you and share your story just like we did with the fine folks at The Orchard School in Indianapolis. And if you are fascinated by the idea of space seeds, visit NASA's site for teacher resources to find out how to get involved. I'm looking forward to hearing from you! Email me at ckuhl@parkseed.com with your out-of-this-world gardening stories!

Herb Society of American Supports Seeds in Space

I'm delighted, but not at all surprised, to find that my new friends at the Herb Society of America (HSA) are also supporters of garden-related education and especially Seeds in Space. Park Seed's Director of Seed Product, Stephanie Turner, is a member of HSA and gets their newsletter. A while back, she gave me a copy of their Winter 2007 edition. The cover story was a terrific article about a huge event, "an out-of-this-world celebration of International Education week at the U.S. National Arboretum, hosted by HSA, The U.S. Department of Education, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture." Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan was there, along with dozens of other dignitaries and a flock of fourth graders who had participated in the Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber.

Thinking that my faithful blog readers would be interested in this story, I requested and received permission to reprint it for you here. My sincere thanks to Susan Belsinger, Robin Siktberg, and Katrinka Morgan for their permission and help in allowing me to share this with you. To read the complete article, click on "Continue reading" below.

If you participated in any iteration of our 25-year Seeds in Space adventure, I would love to share your story here. And if you are a teacher--or know one--who enjoys hands-on learning experiences, there is still time to join the Lunar Plant Growth Chamber challenge and get your free space seeds! If you do sign up, please consider sharing your stories and pictures with this blog, like the sixth graders at The Orchard School have done!