photo by Orenda Randuch
The Sempervirens Fund community is inquisitive. Together we seek to discover new ways forward to help nature thrive, and to learn more about what makes our region—and the redwoods we love—so special.
Over our long history, artists have held a special place in our community. They deepen the connections to redwoods and nature that we hold dear. From founders such as photographer A.P. Hill and poet Carrie Stevens Walter, to photographers Ansel Adams and Robert Bueltemann, to composer Scott Ordway and fine artist and illustrator Jane Kim, our passion for redwoods has been enriched by the creative minds that explore and tell the story of the forests and their magnificence.
Forest Fellowships
Over time, Sempervirens Fund will invite Forest Fellows to discover redwoods in ways that spark their creative process. Through the program, Fellows will contribute insights, artifacts, and inspiration to our community. Sempervirens Fund will provide Forest Fellows with collaborative learning experiences and funding, including a year-long stipend.
“We know that our love and curiosity for redwoods and the Santa Cruz mountains is shared by many in our community
and our new forest fellowship is a great way to explore that curiosity together, deepen our knowledge of our local ecosystem, and support local visionaries in their work."
—Sara Barth, Executive Director
2024 Inaugural Fellow
The inaugural Forest Fellow is Jane Kim, a visual artist, science illustrator, and the founder of Ink Dwell studio. Together, Sempervirens Fund and Kim have already collaborated on visual illustrations for a series of reports on the intersection of redwood trees and climate change, as well as Curiosity Stories films about Kim’s journey to create new works of art inspired by the cut rounds of an old-growth redwood stump.
Sempervirens Fund's
Forest Fellow
Jane Kim
"The intersection of art and science isn’t only fascinating, but it is the place where we can learn, experiment, and understand things differently and better. Whether it's the impacts of climate change and wildfire on our ecosystem, how our watersheds interact with wildlife and humans, or just better understanding the life of a half-century-old tree, we have so much to learn from being in the forest."
- - Jane Kim, illustrator and founder of Ink Dwell Studio
Delve into Jane Kim's work illustrating the intersection of art and science
Redwoods and Climate Series
Jane Kim's artwork illustrates the complex sciences striving to understand climate change through redwoods' past and how climate change effetcs redwoods' future.
Curiosity Stories
Follow Jane Kim on her curiosity journey with redwood experts to create art and understanding from an old-growth redwood stump.
Curiosity Stories Episode 1: This Tree Has Gone Through Everything
In the debut episode of Curiosity Stories, follow artist and illustrator Jane Kim, of Ink Dwell studio, on her journey to create art and understanding from an old-growth redwood. Embark into the forest with her as she cuts "cookies" from an ancient stump at Camp Jones Gulch with professional forester Bruce Baker—the first step in creating art prints of tree rings. What can we learn about the history of the forest from this stump?
Redwoods and Climate Illustrations
illustrations by Jane Kim, Ink Dwell
More to Explore
- See Jane Kim's illustrations in the Redwoods and Climate series
- Watch Jane Kim's journey to create art and understanding in Curiosity Stories
- Read the Forest Fellowship press release