Coastal
southern Oregon and northern California are home to America's last ancient redwood
forests. Sequoia semprevirens, 
magnificent trees, are the earth's oldest and
tallest organisms. They can live for 3,000
years and grow taller than the Statue of Liberty. About 18 years ago, a coastal redwood tree became
the object of a 2-year battle. A rich Texan
bought the troubled Pacific Lumber Company in 1986, a company respected for conservative
logging. Under the Texan, it soon became
a cutthroat enterprise run by Maxxam Corporation--as in maximum profit. Clear-cutting large sections of the redwood
forest which grows on steep slopes above the town of Stafford, California, Maxxam
began spraying the denuded areas with napalm before replanting. In this way, they poisoned flora and fauna while
polluting streams and a river. The erosion
they caused also did serious damage to the town. When loggers marked a certain 1,000 year-old tree
with blue paint, Maxxam's mark of death, the "treesitters" stepped in. Courageous environmentalists, the
"treesitters" were used to being brutalized by Maxxam personnel as
well as by the police. "Treesitters"
climbed up into and occupied individual redwood trees at their own peril. Meanwhile, Julia Hill had just arrived in
California. Having survived near-fatal
injuries in a car crash in 1996, she had decided after a year's convalescence to
leave a secure job in order to discern her life's true purpose. Says Julia, "When I entered the majestic
cathedral of the redwood forest for the first time, my spirit knew it had found
what it was searching for. I dropped to
my knees and began to cry because I was overwhelmed by the wisdom, energy, and
spirituality housed in this holiest of temples." Soon Julia was occupying a wooden platform
near the top of the 60-meter redwood called "Luna." The first two times Julia sat in Luna, she
stayed for less than a week. The third time,
however, Julia "Butterfly" Hill would end up "treesitting" for
738 days straight. Despite having
witnessed the cruel death of another "treesitter," David "Gypsy"
Chain, the sorrow of which was compounded for Julia by obscene threats made by company
guards; and despite the company's trying to starve her out of the tree for ten
days, and company helicopter raids which very nearly swept her away; and
despite even a mammoth 18-day snowstorm with hurricane-force winds, Julia Hill,
the "willful child" of an evangelical preacher, survived her first few
months atop Luna and then continued to treesit, often in the fog. The hardest part, said Julia, was listening
to loggers cut down the trees nearby, hearing chain saws, axes, and the final
"scream" each tree made as it fell.
Supported by the environmentalists on the ground, Julia was determined
to "treesit" until Luna's safety was won. The media were soon covering the story and Maxxam
left her alone. At some point, Julia had
a treetop visit from famous musicians, Joan Baez and Bonnie Raitt. Raitt said the 
encounter was life-changing. How could anyone spend two years in a forest canopy, exposed to the elements in face of an
antagonistic corporation? Was Julia
hoping to become another Simeon Stylites, the desert saint who lived atop a
column for nearly 40 years? Julia later
said she learned to take life "day by day, and prayer by
prayer." She even stopped fearing
for her physical safety. Mostly, she had
become intent on doing something to
help a wise old tree survive against all odds.
Julia had become an activist, an ordinary person who summons all her
courage. In 1999, Maxxam finally sold
the tree and its immediate surroundings to Julia for about $55,000. By then Julia was 26. Luna is still living even though there was an
attempt on the part of criminals to cut her down in 2000. In 2005, Pacific Lumber was sold again, this
time to environmentally friendly owners which makes for a happy ending to this story. Julia's main cause now is convincing people
like you and me to play a vital role in the world. She asks, "What's your tree? Everyone has their
own personal tree to sit in." Julia
will have celebrated another birthday in February. As people say in Italy, "Cento di questi!" May you celebrate a hundred, Butterfly. And thanks to you, may Luna the Giant Redwood
live another thousand, at least. UN'AMERICANA A VENEZIA
magnificent trees, are the earth's oldest and
tallest organisms. They can live for 3,000
years and grow taller than the Statue of Liberty. About 18 years ago, a coastal redwood tree became
the object of a 2-year battle. A rich Texan
bought the troubled Pacific Lumber Company in 1986, a company respected for conservative
logging. Under the Texan, it soon became
a cutthroat enterprise run by Maxxam Corporation--as in maximum profit. Clear-cutting large sections of the redwood
forest which grows on steep slopes above the town of Stafford, California, Maxxam
began spraying the denuded areas with napalm before replanting. In this way, they poisoned flora and fauna while
polluting streams and a river. The erosion
they caused also did serious damage to the town. When loggers marked a certain 1,000 year-old tree
with blue paint, Maxxam's mark of death, the "treesitters" stepped in. Courageous environmentalists, the
"treesitters" were used to being brutalized by Maxxam personnel as
well as by the police. "Treesitters"
climbed up into and occupied individual redwood trees at their own peril. Meanwhile, Julia Hill had just arrived in
California. Having survived near-fatal
injuries in a car crash in 1996, she had decided after a year's convalescence to
leave a secure job in order to discern her life's true purpose. Says Julia, "When I entered the majestic
cathedral of the redwood forest for the first time, my spirit knew it had found
what it was searching for. I dropped to
my knees and began to cry because I was overwhelmed by the wisdom, energy, and
spirituality housed in this holiest of temples." Soon Julia was occupying a wooden platform
near the top of the 60-meter redwood called "Luna." The first two times Julia sat in Luna, she
stayed for less than a week. The third time,
however, Julia "Butterfly" Hill would end up "treesitting" for
738 days straight. Despite having
witnessed the cruel death of another "treesitter," David "Gypsy"
Chain, the sorrow of which was compounded for Julia by obscene threats made by company
guards; and despite the company's trying to starve her out of the tree for ten
days, and company helicopter raids which very nearly swept her away; and
despite even a mammoth 18-day snowstorm with hurricane-force winds, Julia Hill,
the "willful child" of an evangelical preacher, survived her first few
months atop Luna and then continued to treesit, often in the fog. The hardest part, said Julia, was listening
to loggers cut down the trees nearby, hearing chain saws, axes, and the final
"scream" each tree made as it fell.
Supported by the environmentalists on the ground, Julia was determined
to "treesit" until Luna's safety was won. The media were soon covering the story and Maxxam
left her alone. At some point, Julia had
a treetop visit from famous musicians, Joan Baez and Bonnie Raitt. Raitt said the encounter was life-changing. How could anyone spend two years in a forest canopy, exposed to the elements in face of an
antagonistic corporation? Was Julia
hoping to become another Simeon Stylites, the desert saint who lived atop a
column for nearly 40 years? Julia later
said she learned to take life "day by day, and prayer by
prayer." She even stopped fearing
for her physical safety. Mostly, she had
become intent on doing something to
help a wise old tree survive against all odds.
Julia had become an activist, an ordinary person who summons all her
courage. In 1999, Maxxam finally sold
the tree and its immediate surroundings to Julia for about $55,000. By then Julia was 26. Luna is still living even though there was an
attempt on the part of criminals to cut her down in 2000. In 2005, Pacific Lumber was sold again, this
time to environmentally friendly owners which makes for a happy ending to this story. Julia's main cause now is convincing people
like you and me to play a vital role in the world. She asks, "What's your tree? Everyone has their
own personal tree to sit in." Julia
will have celebrated another birthday in February. As people say in Italy, "Cento di questi!" May you celebrate a hundred, Butterfly. And thanks to you, may Luna the Giant Redwood
live another thousand, at least. UN'AMERICANA A VENEZIA
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