Eden Hendricks

Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California’s oldest state park, is home to the largest continuous stand of old-growth redwoods south of San Francisco. In 2020, the CZU lightning complex fire burned 97% of the park’s 18,202 acres, drastically altering its landscape. As the park enters a phase of regeneration, it seeks to deepen connections between people and nature, with art serving as a powerful medium for this transformation. Initiatives like the 2023 “Art About” program, which invited 18 Californian artists to immerse themselves in the park and create works inspired by their experience, and the 2024 “Art in the Park” exhibition, have demonstrated the role of art in fostering engagement and appreciation for the park’s evolving landscape.

This project reimagines Sempervirens Campground as a space where art and nature intersect, featuring an art facility and gallery, a nature play corridor, boardwalks with interpretive signage, and camping facilities designed to host art-based retreats, educational programs, and future events like “Art in the Park.” By embedding art within the landscape, the redesign aims to inspire deeper connections between visitors, creative expression, and the natural world, cultivating a shared commitment to the park’s renewal and long-term stewardship.