Julia Butterfly Hill: The Girl Who Lived in a Tree

"You want to interview the woman who lived in a tree?" I asked Marc when he told me Julia Butterfly Hill would be in Baltimore and available to talk with us. I admit I was skeptical. Of course I knew Julia's story. From December 1997 to December 1999 she lived in a California Redwood Tree named Luna to keep loggers from cutting the tree down. Some people called her a crazy hippie, some people said she was an inspiration, while others believed she was breaking the law and should be prosecuted. But that happened ten years ago-why talk to Julia now?

Julia in Luna

I'm happy to admit I was wrong, wrong, wrong. This was one of the most fascinating interviews I have ever had the pleasure of being involved with. In a studio at WEAA on the Morgan State University campus, Julia told the amazing tale of her 738 days living in Luna. She shared with us the poetry and artwork that is currently on display at Baltimore's own American Visionary Arts Museum as part of the All Faiths Beautiful exhibit. These are drawings and writings she made while living in Luna and they are evidence of the wide array of emotions she went through while she lived in Luna--from fear for her life to a sense of deep joy and oneness with the universe. They are made on scraps of paper and cardboard that she had in the tree with her.

Please enjoy the interview and take the time to visit the AVAM and see Julia's artwork.  The running time is 56:30.

Learn More:

• Julia's blog
• Buy Julia's book "Legacy of Luna"
• Learn more about tree sitting
• Luna, an upcoming movie by the same company that did The Visitor and An Inconvenient Truth

Some images from Julia's exhibition at the AVAM.