Desire to Save the Tree
Naturally, other people will definitely do all things to save their loved ones. However, for this woman, saving the tree from being cut down is what she desired. Her desire make her do unbelievable things to prevent it to happen.
Times-Standard
When she started her protest, she stayed up in the tree facing and enduring situations that are terrifying and inevitable natural phenomena. Her sacrifices were paid off after 738 days, but how can she survive such threats?
Luxurious and Non-traditional Life
Julia is not fond of luxurious things but instead enjoyed living a non-traditional life. She grew up in a trailer for his father who travels from one city to another for his line of work, though they are not that rich.
KCET
Both she and her dad lived a minimalist life. Even though she had lived up in the tree for 738 days, adjusting to that kind of environment was easier for her. In fact, she lived up there and make the most of it.
Leaving Her Old Life
Julia was embarrassed by her previous life, she wanted to end poverty. Eventually, she successfully studied with a business major and found herself working hard to earn money in a restaurant.
Aeon
Of course, she valued the ideals of life she have been living, however, a twist of time was about to happen. She was about to experience a life-threatening event that she had never expected.
Evaluating Herself
Back when Julia was 22 years old, she was severely injured in a car accident. She spent 10 months recovering from a traumatic brain injury. Amon her severe injuries, she suffered a lot from brain damage.
Etrange et Insolite
While spending 10 months incapacitated and recovering, she had the chance to think and evaluate herself. She realized that her life had a meaning. She later decides to travel from one city to another to find out what her life’s purpose really was.
The Purpose
As soon ash found her purpose, she went to travel to the West Coast. She realized that it was her “calling” when she stepped foot on the Redwood Forests. She felt fulfilled and satisfied when she immersed herself in the forest.
Icona Clima
She just recently found out that this area is about to be chopped down, and be exploited for good. Knowing that she had found a thing to care about, she would definitely do anything to protect it.
“Butterfly”
Protesting means you have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Julia used her childhood nickname ‘Butterfly.” Other activists usually do the same thing which also serves to protect their identities.
SFGATE
Reportedly, police used pepper sprays, pointing directly at the activists’ faces. These activities were trespassers for they were invading The Pacific Lumber Company’s trees. Of course, Julia surely prepares for that.
Supporting the Activist Group
The passion she just found out drove her to sell as many possessions as she can. She returned to the Redwood Forest to support the activist group with the same goal as hers. It was in 1997 November that she offered support to those protesting against the exploitation of the forest.
Encyclopedia Britannica
She did not feel very satisfied when she was just helping the group by doing menial tasks. Eventually, the group needed volunteers to tree-sit. Julia was unsatisfied with the menial tasks and so she volunteered for it.
Volunteered
Almond, a guy from the activist group is finding a volunteer to tree-sit, and Julia could not help herself but do so. The setup would be someone hoisted up by a rope into the redwood tree.
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She was expected to stay up to that tree for five days, however, any one of them did not expect that she would last 738 days. It was not that easy for Julie. In fact, she still had to hike up over two hours to get there.
Luna
Julia needed to come down the tree because she was under the weather. The experience was like no other, she needed to survive day and night. However, the experience did not scare her at all.
Bright Side
The ancient tree was known as Luna, and Julia was in the first line to sit the tree. She does not have proper training at all and only had limited experience in mountain and tree climbing. It did not stop her, still, she carry on.
Earth First
Julia took long enough to know who was behind this advocacy. As it happened, the area and action were organized by a radical organization that seek to protect the wilderness and wildlife. The organization is known as “Earth First.”
Justseeds
Julia is supposed to be with the other three volunteers, but they are somehow intimidated and was harassed, so they gave up sitting with Julia. Loggers begin their operation of cutting down the trees, but they did not stop Julia from climbing and staying up the tree.
Enduring Threats
The ancient tree has been marked to be chopped down, and so, Julia had to climb and sit on Luna. However, could sitting on the tree, save this from the loggers? Julia had to stay in the tree. If the loggers insist to cut the tree, it would cost the life of Julia.
Bright Side
Julia had to endure the threats from the loggers who have already chopped down the sister trees of Luna. It is of certainty that the loggers were determined to chop down Luna. After 738 days, what made Julia come down from the tree?
Ancient Tree Luna
The ancient tree was named Luna on an evening when the Earth First organization was establishing platforms on Luna’s branches. Those platforms are designed for the volunteers to tree-sit.
The Press Democrat
They did the platforms during a full moon and so the tree gained its name. The tree was over 189 feet tall and aged between 1000 and 1800 years. It was one of the oldest trees standing.
Slowing Down the Clear Cutting Process
These societal issues are generally connected to money. Maxxam Company bought out the Pacific Lumber Company. The latter company needs to pay its debt and needs to cut down a large number of trees.
The Press Democrat
Though the company owns the land, the land accumulated one of the oldest trees in the redwood forest. Cutting down those trees would only mean to exploit and it would definitely take another thousand years to grow other trees similar to Luna.
Living with Luna
Julia had to live in a small tent resigned in a six by eight-foot platform with pulleys. She was of course provided and equipped with her basic needs like food, a single burner, toiletries and rags for hygiene, and basic sleeping bags.
Scholastic
She would exercise and entertain herself through the branches and sightseeing. Her living with Luna was not glamorous at all. However, she would definitely do anything for Luna. Another volunteer gave up sitting with Luna, and so she was all alone in the tree.
Responding to Threat
There was a day that the Pacific Lumber Company used a helicopter to threaten Julia and Luna. Some of Luna’s branches fell off due to the helicopter. Thankfully, Julia had a cellphone and she recorded everything like the helicopter was flying illegally close.
Cultura Colectiva
The Federal Aviation Administration responded to the video and warned the Pacific Company to stop. The Earth First organization had to convince Julia to get down for her safety and they were running out of resources already.
Starving Julia
Reportedly, the Earth First organization had stopped supporting Julia’s needs. There was a friend of Julia who promised to support her. However, the Pacific Lumber Company hired security guards to prevent those people who wanted to give Julia the resources he needs.
Julia Butterfly Hill
Earth First planned to divert the company’s attention in order to give Julia the supplies. Thankfully, the plan worked! However, it took a few days for the company to give up on Julia’s situation.
The Storm
When the news said that there is a storm coming, the activist cleared the area and left for safety. However, Julia was not discouraged about the storm. Reportedly, Julia almost lost her life staying in the tree with the raging storm.
SFGATE
Julia’s small tent got tilted by the storm. The storm lasted for 18 hours with furiously strong winds and rain. Still, Julia held on. On that day, Julia was there for 71 days already and she received press attention.
Raising Awareness
As mentioned, she received some attention. Especially when she broke the 90-day record of staying up in the tree. She then received thousands of letters, mentions through the radio and tv shows and documentaries.
Julia Butterfly Hill
She grabbed this opportunity to raise awareness about cutting down trees and showed the relevance of the forests. Meanwhile, the Pacific Lumber Company continually cut down the trees just waiting for Julia to leave Luna.
Mudslide
In a local town, ten homes were destroyed by a mudslide and the residents and other people believed that this happened due to the clear-cutting process that is still going on. Reports also showed that 95% of old redwood forests were cleared by cutting down those trees.
KTLA
The Pacific Lumber Company’s license was suspended after the activist pointed out their number of violations. However, the suspension did not last long and the company began to work again.
Negotiations
After over two years of Julia’s stay with Luna, the president of the Pacific Lumber Company, John Campbell decided that it was worth getting Julia’s personal attention. He personally visited Julia and brought her a six-pack Pepsi for her.
Shutterstock
Since Julia did not fully agree to the company’s terms, she knew that the negotiation would take months. So, she decided to still stay up in the tree for the foreseeable future and still fight for Luna.
Final Agreement
Finally, on the 18th of December 1999, both Julia and the Pacific Lumber Company agreed to their own terms. Julia was assured that Luna will not be cut down and the company will not chop down trees within the 200-foot radius around Luna.
BBC
Julia and other organizations supporting the protection of the trees had to pay $50,000 to compensate for the loss of the Pacific Lumber Company. Unfortunately, they banned Julia from the area, but they will allow her to visit the area.
Julia Came Down
It was a tremendous win for Julia and the organization. However, someone cut halfway into Luna and severely damaged Luna. Thankfully, the Sanctuary Forest organization still looks after the tree.
NBC News
Luna remains standing and the organization attached clamps to secure the trunk allowing nutrients to freely flow for the tree. In turn, Julie wrote a book full of her experiences with Luna.
The Outcome
Julia admitted that she would not have done the volunteering if she was not certain about the outcome. In 2008, the Pacific Lumber Company went bankrupt. She really knew what she was really into.
The Press Democrat
The latter company was then replaced by the Humboldt Redwood Company. This company was far more cooperative than the latter one. They were honoring Luna and listened to the cries of the activist. Meanwhile, Julia still holds the longest tree-sitting woman record.