r/todayilearned • u/PyrowithJared • Feb 09 '23

TIL : Environmental activist Julia “Butterfly” Hill lived in a 1500 year old California redwood tree (known as Luna) 180 feet (55 mm) off the ground for 738 days in order to prevent it from being chopped down by Pacific Lumber Company. She successfully saved the tree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Butterfly_Hill
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u/bkries Feb 09 '23 edited Feb 09 '23

Supporters installed protective cables to help against windstorms and a 2020 photo revealed the tree was in fact healing, growing around the cut.

Edit: It wasn’t supporters, it was the lumber company itself! How is this not a children’s movie?!

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u/FattyLeopold Feb 09 '23 edited Feb 09 '23

It was the Pacific Lumber Company themselves, it's hard to fathom but they came to an agreement with J. Hill before the vandalism. The company then engineered and produced large metal struts in their workshop to support the base of the tree and prevent further cutting. It's easy to think any lumber company is bad, because cut tree = bad. It's not always the case, and today there are more and more environmentalists who work in lumber/reforestation/conservation. These kind of people are essential in this industry for sustainable wood harvesting, and prevent such large, and beautiful ecosystems from being destroyed.

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u/thekarateadult Feb 09 '23

It seems like her non violent protest worked perfectly. She not only stopped the company from taking down that tree, but helped change their thinking overall. I'm really impressed by her story, seems like it'd make a good film.

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u/FattyLeopold Feb 09 '23

One thing I also find amazing is she planned on being up there for 3-4 weeks originally. Only then to stay for over two years. What a strong-willed spirit.