Soaring Sequoia. Photo Jeff Jones

The Oakland Museum of California goes deep into the forest primeval to reveal the spectacular beauty of the Giant Sequoia, found nowhere on earth but California’s Sierra Nevada.

Future of Sequoias: Sustaining Parklands in the 21st Century (Feb 7–Aug 23, 2009) features photographs by Jeff Jones and prose by retired National Park Interpretative Ranger William C. Tweed, who share a deep respect and concern for the parks that harbor the magnificent trees.

Jones and Tweed’s heartfelt tribute to Sequoiadendron giganteum is a call for environmental action.

“We like to think about national parks as the places there the good guys won, where the future is secure,” said Tweed. “But the situation is no longer that simple. Future of Sequoias highlights the evolving frontier between preservation and environmental deterioration.”

Forest Crossing. Photo Jeff Jones.

The adjacent Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks—the largest wilderness area in California—are among the most despoiled in the nation. Their biological features are endangered by high levels of atmospheric pollution from vehicle emissions, agricultural dust, pesticides, and coal plants. This smog gets trapped in the lower San Joaquin Valley and stagnates in the sun.

The exhibition includes 24 color prints by Jones, a longtime naturalist who incorporates digital and technical means to create his panoramic images. Using a custom tripod and darkroom expertise, he carefully stitches together multiple exposures for a crisp, evenly lit scene. At the end of the exhibiton, relax in a park cabin and take a 360-degree digital tour of the parks.

Future of Sequoias: Sustaining Parklands in the 21st Century is generously supported by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board.

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