Science In The Story
Plants, forests, wetlands, and hidden biology shape the way we look at every trail, shoreline, and cedar swamp.
About Thuja
Rooted in the Northwoods
Thuja began as a conversation between a brother and sister who share a love for the outdoors, but see it through different lenses. One of us is fascinated by the science of plants and the hidden biology that shapes every forest. The other is an artist who sees beauty in the quiet details of nature. Together, those perspectives became Thuja.
The story
A Wisconsin kind of wonder
Growing up in Wisconsin, some of our favorite memories were not the big adventures. They were the simple ones: building forts in the woods, exploring cedar swamps, and watching loons at sunset.
Now, as parents, we get to see that same wonder in our own kids: the excitement of catching their first fish, discovering a painted turtle along the trail, or proudly identifying a tree they learned by name.
That curiosity is what led us to Thuja occidentalis, the Northern White Cedar. It is one of the defining trees of the Northwoods, quietly shaping forests, wetlands, and shorelines across the Upper Midwest. It is not the tallest tree or the most famous, but it endures for centuries and helps create the places we love most.
Art In The Details
Our designs come from quiet things worth noticing: needles, cones, tracks, water, bark, and light through trees.
Made For Memories
For first fish, painted turtles, cabin weekends, state park hikes, canoe trips, and the stories kids carry home.
From our family
Rooted in the Northwoods. Made for the Midwest.
Every Thuja design begins the same way: with a real place, a real memory, or something we noticed while wandering outside. Science inspires the stories. Art gives them life.
We are not here to celebrate extreme adventure. We are here for cabin weekends, campfires, early mornings on the lake, hiking state parks, canoe trips, and the quiet moments that become lifelong memories.
Our hope is simple: that every shirt, hat, or sweatshirt reminds you to spend a little more time outside and maybe inspires the next generation to look a little closer, ask one more question, catch one more fish, or stop to admire a cedar tree they might have walked past before.
From our family to yours, thank you for being part of the journey.