Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25125
··PERHAPS. THOUGH, I PROVIDE OTHER PEOPLE A LITTLE FIRE." Drum. She had appeared on NBC's Dateline and the Outdoor Life Network's Thin Green Line. Julia received 400 pieces of mail each week from supporters worldwide. School kids launched paper recycling programs guided by ideas she'd suggested. Every day, her fans made the pilgrimage to touch Luna and tuck totems such as ceramic sculptures, precious stones, feathers and poems into the rough red bark of her 14-foot-diameter base. Looking through the stacks of mail on her platform, we asked Julia how it felt to be so highly considered-a Joan of Arc to a world renowned musician, a goddess to many people who try to understand her passion and sacrifices of a normal life. "I'm only one human being," she told us. "Sometimes I am overwhelmed by people asking me what they should do. It's like, 'Please, you too, do something yourselves!' Perhaps, though, I provide other people a little fire." Ironically, her inspiration caught fire even with some of the loggers in the area who supposedly were trying to make her come down. "We are all connected in this web of life," she explained . "We all have a heart-all of life deserves to be treated with love and respect. It is in this way that I do my best to reach out to everyone, including the loggers." With one hand holding Luna, the other was free to help her speak. But her facial contortions, which ranged from sad to happy to perplexed, were what told the true story of a woman absolutely possessed with her mission. As if reading my mind, she said to me, "It's too bad that someone has to go to such extremes-to sit in a tree for over a year-for people to take notice of such destruction. We tried other methods, we did protests, sent letters, talked to the loggers, the Pacific Lumber Company ... Some people think I'm crazy. But we're talking about the balance-of the trees, the river, the animals, Mother Earth." Squatting and leaning on branches in unique and balanced positions, she carefully moved about with the deftness of a squirrel. In less than a minute, she could reach the top branches to wave and smile at approaching planes buzzing Luna for a shot of the girl-in-the-tree-something she did twice while we were there. Over the past ten years, the Headwaters Forest has gotten progressively smaller as a result of commercial logging. Various environmental groups have led campaigns to save the redwoods and filed lawsuits against the Pacific Lumber Company and its parent company Maxxam. Some of the initiatives did slow logging. But environmentalists' high hopes for the protection of a 600,000 acre area and funding for the restoration of the watersheds devastated by the Pacific Lumber Company were never met. Instead, on March 1, 1999, environmental ists got the Headwaters Forest Agreement-"The Deal"-by which two ancient redwood groves were transferred from Pacific Lumber to the public. Luna is not in the Headwaters Forest, and thus was not protected by the agreement. So, Julia Butterfly stayed in Luna, continuing her vigil. By 8 PM on our day in Luna, it was pitch-dark and getting colder. A wind was approaching from the north making our platform creak in Luna's moving branches. The three of us sat close together in the glow of the green dome under Julia Butterfly's sleeping bag. The interview was over and we chatted about things Julia Butterfly missed-such as walking. "People ask me all the time how I go to the bathroom, and if I get lonely for sex. At first, I became really upset having to talk about what I call fluff. But then I started to learn that that's all some people can relate to. People are at different levels of awareness." Michael radioed up that perhaps it was time for us to rappel down. Julia's voice became softer and quieter as she talked us through just how to rappel 180 feet in the darkness. As I began to slide down the rope, Julia Butterfly sensed my fear and said calmly, "Luna will take care of you." I disappeared into the darkness, touching Luna along the way with my feet, bouncing down her long trunk.