The late Melissa Spearing was an avid seed collector who worked at Kew Gardens in the UK and at the National Tree Seed Centre in Fredericton where she conducted research on forest protection and taught seed collecting procedures. Some of her seeds travelled with the astronauts aboard the Artemis II space craft last month.
When the astronauts were circling the moon in the Artemis II space capsule, they were carrying a few items from Bethany along for the ride.
Inside the space capsule was a small, sealed foil envelope holding 2,600 Canadian seeds of five native tree species. The late Melissa Spearing of Bethany was among the seed collectors who had carefully secured seeds for the Eastern White Pine trees in her neighbourhood as part of the efforts of the National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC) in Fredericton.
The NTSC is part of the Atlantic Forestry Centre which maintains a living library of Canada’s forest genetic resources, storing and protecting more than 13,000 seed col-lections from more than 200species of trees and shrubs. It is Canada’s only national seedbank, striving to preserve the genetic diversity of Canadian forests. The library collects, processes, tests and stores the seeds for conservation and research purposes. The organization provides partner training and technical support to seed collectors protects seed quality for future generations. Melissa worked at the NTSC, providing training to collectors to ensure their collection efforts in their own communities yield pristine, viable seed for a variety of trees and shrubs across the country. She also conducted research. One of the papers to which she contributed analyzed the challenges posed by climate change to forests across the globe because of to rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and extreme weather events. The paper was published posthumously and was dedicated to Melissa, recognizing her “passion for seed biology and contribution to advance knowledge had a profound impact in the field of forestry”.
This conservation work conducted at NTSC ensures seeds are available when needed to restore forests destroyed by fire, drought and pests. The organization also provides small quantities of seeds for scientific research to help organizations develop solutions to address climate change. They do not sell to private individuals or nursery operators.
The Artemis crew’s stash included seeds from five native species: Lodgepole pine, East-ern White Cedar, Red Maple, White Birch and Eastern White Pine. This selection was chosen to reflect Canadian forests, which are under pressure. According to NTSC Coordinator Darren Derbowka, twenty-five percent of our native tree species are currently listed as threatened due to climate change, habitat loss and invasive species.
Sending the seeds into space was about raising awareness of the importance of trees. The gesture was designed to highlight the ecological, economic and cultural value of our forests that we often take for granted. Derbowka hopes the trip reminds us of the importance of efforts to protect our forests.
The Canadian Space Agency is returning the seeds to the MTSC this week, where they will be planted to determine if there was any impact from the trip on their viability. These offspring will be ready to transplant in about two years, Melissa’s mother Sandy has been told that some will be returning to Bethany. Others may be destined for future Earth Day events across the country, where they might inspire visitors to think about conservation.
The seeds Melissa harvested locally were Eastern White Cedar. In her correspondence, Melissa’s sign-off was “Love you to the moon and back.” Now some of her seeds have made that very journey, something Melissa would certainly appreciate.