Dec. 10, 1997: Julia “Butterfly” Begins Successful Redwood Tree-sit that Lasts 738 Days

On December, 10, 1997, environmental activist Julia “Butterfly” Hill began a tree-sit in an ancient redwood tree in Northern California to prevent logging of that area of old growth forest. Julia “Butterfly” maintained her tree-sit, residing in a tent on a platform near the top of a 1000-year-old, 200 foot tree named Luna, for 738 days.

Julia “Butterfly” Hill atop Luna. Source: Trees Foundation

Her two year direct action protest — putting her life and body between the tree and those hoping to chop it down — combined with sustained pressure from a range of organizers in the environmental movement, gained international attention and successfully forced the Pacific Lumber Company to agree to preserve the ancient tree and others in the surrounding area.

As noted on her website,

Julia, with the great help of steelworkers and environmentalists, successfully negotiated to permanently protect the 1,000 year-old tree and a nearly three – acre buffer zone. Her two-year vigil informed the public that only 3% of the ancient redwood forests remain and that the Headwaters Forest Agreement, brokered by state and federal agencies and Pacific Lumber/Maxxam Corporation, will not adequately protect forests and species.

On December 18, 1999 Julia Butterfly Hill, then 25, came down to a world that recognized her as a heroine and powerful voice for the environment. Her courage, commitment, and profound clarity in articulating a message of hope, empowerment, and love & respect for all life, has inspired millions of people worldwide.

Britannica notes

Supported by supplies from Earth First!, a coalition of radical environmental activism groups, Hill lived on a 6-by-8-foot platform sheltered by tarps high in the tree and communicated by cell phone. She faced extreme weather, susceptibility to illness, and numerous attempts by PL [Pacific Lumber] to force her down, including the use of floodlights and loudspeakers. After more than two years in the tree, her vigil achieved a settlement that protected Luna’s immediate surroundings and included a $50,000 donation to Humboldt State University for forestry research.

Tree-sits have continued to be a popular form of civil disobedience, helping to delay the felling of forests and highlighting the ecological devastation that comes from clearcutting and mountaintop removal, and the importance of maintaining biodiverse ecosystems.

Additional Resources

Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods by Julia Butterfly Hill