Julia Butterfly Hill spent 738 days in a California redwood tree to protest against its felling by the Pacific Lumber Company. Her act of civil disobedience inspired others and resulted in the preservation of Luna, the tree she sat in, and a three-acre buffer zone around it. Hill has since become an environmental activist and founded the Circle of Life Foundation.
Julia Butterfly Hill is a young activist known for spending 738 days at the top of a tree. Born February 18, 1974 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, she Julia Butterfly Hill was just 24 years old when she climbed a California redwood tree and settled there. The tree, 1,000 years old and 180 feet tall, was to be felled by the Pacific Lumber Company. Moved by the difficult situation, the volunteers of Earth First! and other organizations helped Julia build a small, tarp-covered shelter at the top of the tree, where she would spend the next two years of her life.
The act of civil disobedience that started the legend was inspired by Headwaters forest activists trying to stop the logging of hundreds of trees in Humboldt County, California, one of the last remaining areas of the forest ecosystem. wild redwood forest in the USA. Julia Butterfly Hill wasn’t the first activist to climb the tree. Several people before her had spent hours or days there, and when it was Julia’s turn, her idea was simply to continue the fight. However, days turned into weeks and on day 42, Julia Butterfly Hill broke the world record for tree sitting. The her tree, nicknamed Luna because it was first climbed at night, with only the moon as a guiding light, has become a symbol in the plight of protecting redwood forests.
While on the moon, Julia Butterfly Hill experienced severe harassment from the logging company, which included horns, bright lights, and high winds from a helicopter. She also survived one of the coldest winters in California history. Julia Butterfly Hill landed on December 18, 1999 after making a deal with the Pacific Lumber Company. Under the agreement, Luna, plus a three-acre buffer zone around it, would be preserved forever.
Julia Butterfly Hill has been the subject of numerous documentaries, interviews and books, including her memoir, “The Legacy of Luna.” After she landed on the moon, she went on a national tour speaking out against deforestation and eventually founded the Circle of Life Foundation, which offers tools for sustainable living, activism support, and educational programs.
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