Sequoia Park Sky Walk Grand Opening
Photo by Mark Larson
After an interlude of classical music by the Forest Four string quartet (under the tent on the right), Leigh Pierre-Oetker, executive director of the Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation, began the the grand opening ceremony on a path under the Redwood Sky Walk walkways and tree platforms.
Photo by Mark Larson
Former Wiyot Tribal Chair Cheryl Seidner invited attendees to join her in a traditional blessing of the forest and the new Redwood Sky Walk. She later said she's been waiting with great excitement to walk up in the forest canopy since she first heard about plans years ago.
Photo by Mark Larson
Visitors to the Redwood Sky Walk moved up the ADA-accessible ascent ramp to the launch deck and out on the walkways high above the as Gretchen Ziegler, director of the Sequoia Park Zoo, began thanking donors, several community partners, vendors and contractors for their contributions to the project.
Photo by Mark Larson
Jim Campbell-Spickler, now the special projects manager for the Sequoia Park Zoo, paused to look up at the Sky Walk above as he recounted how he managed to transform his construction job on the Sky Walk as a wildlife biologist and tree climber into a permanent job with the zoo.
Photo by Mark Larson
Closing out the ceremony, Eureka Mayor Susan Seaman applied the ceremonial scissor-cutting action to the red ribbon held by Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery (left) and Eureka City Council member Kim Bergel, who is the council liaison to the Zoo Foundation.
Photo by Mark Larson
Members of the Humboldt County En Plein Air group entered the ascent ramp of the Redwood Sky Walk and moved ahead to scout out their vantage points for an evening of painting the light and aerial perspectives high off the ground.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist Antoinette Magyar, of West Haven, quickly began her painting on one of the redwood tree platforms. The artists wore masks unless more than 6 feet apart from others.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist Ken Jarvela, of Korbel, found a sunny location to begin his painting of the redwoods. The suspension bridge in the background led to the spruce tree platform where two others began painting.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist Stock Schlueter, of Eureka, found a vantage point on the remote spruce tree platform with the setting sun to his left.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist Cretha Wilson, of Ferndale, found a shady spot on one of the redwood tree platforms and quickly began her painting.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist Linda Stratman, of McKinleyville, included one of the other artists standing on a tree platform in her composition.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist Steve Taylor, of Eureka, included part of the Sky Walk into his composition.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist John Hewitt, of Fort Bragg, chose a forest scene with "interesting light" for his composition.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist Paul Rickard, of Arcata, who said he paints daily, chose this Sky Walk location with the spruce tree platform in the background.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist Michelle Murphy-Ferguson, of Hydesville, found her painting location on the spruce tree platform next to a "Sky Island" interpretive sign (a reference to the life forms foundhigh in the forest canopy).
Photo by Mark Larson
A close-up view of artist Ken Jarvela's palette.
Photo by Mark Larson
Artist Kirsten Petersen (age 82), of Arcata, said this was her first painting outing since COVID-19 started raging. "I feel like COVID helped me get more insight about my confidence and wanting to try painting again," said Petersen.
Photo by Mark Larson
The yoga class instruction was accompanied by a musical performance played on these gongs located on one of the tree platforms by Joan Richards from the Pali Yoga Studio.
Photo by Mark Larson
Three yoga instructors, Ben and Rupali Brown and Serena Ahlgren from the Pali Yoga Studio, interspersed themselves among the class participants spread out on the suspended walkways and tree platforms of the Redwood Sky Walk.
Photo by Mark Larson
The yoga class particpants found themselves high off the forest floor on the Redwood Sky Walk.
Photo by Mark Larson
The yoga class instructors led participants through a meditative breathing and visualization exercise as the class began and students became accustomed to their unusual location high off the ground on the Redwood Sky Walk.
Photo by Mark Larson
The tree pose balancing asana seemed like a highly appropriate yoga pose for the yoga class on the Redwood Sky Walk.
Photo by Mark Larson
Students practiced the upward-facing dog asana on the one of the tree platforms on the Redwood Sky Walk that features a large redwood burl.
Photo by Mark Larson
Pali Yoga Studio owner and yoga teacher Ben Brown (left) helped lead students through yoga pose asanas on the Redwood Sky Walk.
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Artist Cretha Wilson, of Ferndale, found a shady spot on one of the redwood tree platforms and quickly began her painting.
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