A healing journey through the rainforest

Evers and company have since begun to work on other projects in healthcare settings-Evers gives credit to the San Diego Zoo for this ability because of how well they've sustained The Children's Rainforest project. Their most recent work is for the Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, and continues the concepts of storytelling, nature, and inspiring environments that The Rainforest project began. “We've created a 15-foot tree-it's not real giant, but it's pretty big-made out of steel,” he says. “The story that goes with it is the story of Little Tree: Little Tree is high on a mountain and experiences all that wind and the animals thought it was crazy to be up there. No one went up to visit him because the weather was severe and they would hide in the valley behind the big trees. Then one day the storms came and the flood came and they all escaped for their lives and clung to Little Tree. We're trying to connect these fantasies and stories with real nature so that it engages and inspires their mind, diverts their mind from their illness, and takes them to a fantasy world. It's more than just a visual fantasy. There's a story that goes along with the visual fantasy.”

From humble, ambitious beginnings, The Children's Rainforest Art Explorer Program has become more of a lifestyle than simply another art installation in a hospital. “Once they get out of the hospital, we have people that are like our family,” says Evers. “When you build a culture around art, it's a sense of purpose.” HD