Julia "Butterfly" Hill is an American activist and environmentalist best known for living in an ancient Redwood for 738 days between December 10th 1997 to December 18th 1999. She lived in the tree, which she named "Luna", to prevent loggers from the Pacific Lumber Company from cutting it down. She lived in a small 6-by-8-foot tree house that she had built with help from other volunteers.

A native of Arkansas, Julia had suffered a mild brain injury in a car crash a year before her treesitting experience: This prompted her to embark on a spiritual quest that eventually led her to the cause of the destruction of the redwood forest in Humboldt County, California

In the end, the Pacific Lumber Company agreed to preserve Luna and allow an untouched 200 yard bufferzone of untouched trees, in exchange for Hill leaving the tree and the $50,000 she had raised along with other activists, for the cause. They then turned over the money to Humboldt State University as a public donation towards research.

In 1999, Hill founded with other activists the Circle of Life Foundation .

Hill is also the author of the book The Legacy of Luna .

Weblinks

• circleoflifefoundation.org
• Her weblog
• activismispatriotism.org
• myhero.com Julia Hill
• Photos from Julia in the tree house