Julia Lorraine Hill (known as Julia Butterfly Hill, born February 18, 1974) is an American environmental activist and tax redirection advocate. She is best known for having lived in a 180-foot (55 m)-tall, roughly 1500-year-old California redwood tree for 738 days between December 10, 1997 and December 18, 1999.
When Julia Lorraine Hill was seven years old, a butterfly landed on her finger during a hike with her family in Arkansas, USA. Amazingly, it stayed there for the rest of the hike, earning her the nickname ‘Butterfly’.
At age 22, Julia was in a near-fatal car accident. The crash changed her life. She decided to become an eco-warrior.
Hill climbs Luna
Julia joined the movement to preserve the redwood forest in Humboldt County, California. Hundreds of the massive, ancient redwood trees were marked for cutting down by the Pacific Lumber Company. Several activists prevented the loggers from chopping the trees by climbing them and staying put for a few hours, sometimes a few days. Julia chose a 55-m-tall redwood that was almost 1500 years old and climbed it on December 10, 1997. She called it Luna because she had ascended it on a moonlit night.
Though she hadn’t planned on it, the days turned into weeks. Soon, the 24-year-old had spent 42 days atop Luna, longer than anyone else! Volunteers from Earth First! and other organisations helped her build a covered shelter on top of the tree.
Succeeds finally
During her 738-day vigil, the logging company subjected Julia to loud horns and blinding lights. They flew helicopters so close that she was buffeted by strong winds from the rotors. She also lived through one of the worst winters in California history. However, Julia stuck firm. She only came down on December 18, 1999, when the company agreed to preserve Luna and create a three-acre buffer zone around itJulia wrote a memoir called The Legacy of Luna and continued to work actively against deforestation. She set up Circle of Life, a foundation that offers tools for sustainable living.
Picture Credit : Google
