Julia Butterfly Hill, who lived in a tree for more than two years to save a section of redwood forest, said during a Nov. 1 visit to Elon that personal power is an essential part of her conservation efforts. Details...
Hill said she was inspired to do something to save the forests after seeing the California redwoods for the first time. In 1997, she climbed a 1,000-year-old redwood she named Luna in an effort to save the tree and the surrounding forest from destruction by the Pacific Lumber Company. She lived in the tree until negotiating a settlement with the company which provided permanent protection for the tree.
“My message now is about personal empowerment,” Hill said during a news conference before a speech in Whitley Auditorium. “That’s my story, how I found that power while living in the tree.”
Hill says her initial foray into activism has led to a host of other environmental and conservation interests. “When I climbed into the redwood, I literally climbed into other issues, such as poverty and homelessness.”
Hill is the founder of the Circle of Life Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes development of a sustainable culture that honors biological and cultural diversity. She is the author of “The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, A Woman and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods.”