Honestly, I had wanted to review Julia Butterfly Hill’s book The Legacy of Luna quite some time ago and was reticent to do that when copies seemed scarce. Nevertheless, I happened upon my copy last weekend and determined I would write the review (which wanted to be written, afterall) and today I am delighted to report that copies are now apparently back in abundance and available on Amazon. Hurray! For this is truly a book that all nature lovers will most likely relate to, and cherish for all time. It’s also a profound story which deserves to be told and retold, as it is epic in scope and depth and intention and is an act so deep and profound and courageous and encouraging, now if ever, it needs to be told.

“Julia is a lightening rod 180 feet a top a giant redwood. She says, ‘No more old-growth redwoods should be cut…’ She’s the Joan of Arc of the redwoods.” ~Mickey Hart

I met Julia at a Bioneers Conference some years ago. I looked up, recognized her, and gently approached her, tears unexpectedly streaming down my cheeks, as I was so deeply moved to be meeting her. Inside my book she enscribed “For Kathryn, Thank you for understanding your power to change the world! Julia Butterfly Hill, October 21, 2000.” There is a heart next to her name. 🙂

By the time I met Julia it had been merely ten months since her feet had touched ground for the first time in over two years, when she descended from “Luna,” a thousand-year old redwood tree high on a hill in Humboldt County, California. Julia had climbed the tree 180 feet up to a rugged wooden platform in December of 1997, thinking she would be participating in a two-week “sit.” But out of her deep commitment to the salvation of the ancient redwoods and to the protesting of the practice of clear cutting our beloved forests, she lived on this small wooden platform for 738 days, eighteen stories off the ground, subjected to fierce life-threatening storms, helicopter harassment, and a ten-day siege against her by lumber company security guards who were determined to starve her out, impossible for any one of us to imagine.

“Tree sitting is a last resort. When you see someone in a tree trying to protect it, you know that every level of our society has failed. The consumers have failed, the companies have failed, and the government has failed.” ~Julia Butterfly Hill

Perhaps her being the daughter of a preacher gave her the background to commit and endure. Indeed, it is out of our deepest commitments to our vision for saving the Earth that such challenges do and will appear to us which require great fortitude and courage to sustain our chosen paths. Julia’s courageous path serves as an inspiration to those of us facing the continued worsening challenges on our beleaguered Earth today. When you don’t know where it’s going to come from you might turn to The Legacy of Luna to prevail.

“One day I was climbing around Luna and the fog slipped back to the coast, sunlight hit a spiderweb still glistening with drops of moisture. It shot these beautiful spectral colors in every direction. The diversity of life is like those strands of the spider’s web: the strands weaving together make the web strong and balanced and, even more amazing, make it beautiful as well.” ~ Julia Butterfly Hill

Julia Butterfly Hill
Most importantly of all this is a story of unconditional love, to which Julia turns again and again in the face of attacks from those determined to bring her, and Luna, down. And it was unconditional love she sought and cultivated as her role emerged in the international media as a spokesperson for what was happening in the depths of our forests.

I believe that such heroic figures are emerging in all parts of the world today as individuals are turning within to listen to their heart’s prompting. They are choosing their passions and stepping forward to help the emerging global community which we all must ultimately recognize and turn to in order to preserve this beautiful planet on which we live. It is nothing short of this, believe me. The Legacy of Luna was an early harbinger of what is required, and Julia Butterfly Hill’s story points the way.

Love and global blessings,
Kathryn xoxoo

For more information on our beloved local woods, you might want to revisit this post Into the Woods. And for a very long, very thorough overview and update of the what is happening to California redwoods, check out National Geographic’s Redwood article.

Posted on January 5th, 2011 by Kathryn
Filed under: Book Notes | 9 Comments »

As most of my readers know the last few weeks I’ve been engaged in numerous field trips with a new purpose–to promote my book. Out of these adventures came a phone call from a very kind woman at one such bookstore, inquiring if I might be interested in doing yet another book event, this one at Baker Creek Seed Bank in Sonoma County. Thus was the beginning of a most marvelous adventure, south to Petaluma to what I discovered is very much a destination gardening center! For starters, this company is dedicated to the preservation and distribution of heirloom seeds, a most righteous endeavor. Most intriguing is the site they chose for the California branch of their Missouri-based company–an old bank building! Love it!

Upon entering I was so enchanted I ran straight back to my truck to secure my camera and began my afternoon activities with a shoot, on the spot. You’ll see why!

Wall design

Wall detail

Ceiling

It’s no wonder that the seed folk at Baker Creek found this building so enticing! Any person with an artistic sensibility would be drawn to this old architecture. What is most endearing is the reinterpretation from banking money to banking seeds. That can’t be beat!

Where tellers used to pack it in now stand rows and rows of the tools of our passions.

Wonderful charming pots!

Sturdy brooms

These might actually keep the squirrels out of my rose pots!

Love these marvelous English tools!

More pots, and seed packets!

Adding to the charm and color is the addition of local handcrafted quilts, honoring the local creativity and sense of community.

Most importantly, the women working that day were friendly, knowledgeable and infinitely patient with all the customers coming in to Christmas shop for the gardeners in their lives. Each customer was offered a cup of hot apple cider and encouraged to look to their heart’s content.

I had the opportunity to speak with many of the folks who visited that day and I was immediately taken by how many people were from other counties! Some had come over from Napa, some from as far away as south of San Francisco. This truly was a special place and I can’t think of a single gardening store I’ve ever visited that could rival it. It’s truly not a nursery full of starter plants and fully grown plants one can pop into the earth for an instant garden. No. It’s a place for dreams. It’s a place of possibility. It’s a place for learning. And it’s first and foremost truly a place to buy high quality heirloom seeds (more than you can imagine!). I saw packets of seeds for zillions of vegetables I’d never heard of before. I’d opened The Vegetable Door. I’d by-passed agribiz and commercial produce and gone to The Source as it Should Be.

Can you tell I’m in love with this store? I can’t wait to return and soak up everything I can. I came home armed with their new seed catalogue. And trust me when I say I am NOT a Seed Catalogue Fan. Until now. And now I know why. This catalogue opens an entire new world of food possibilities to me. Endless variety.
And a universe of information, dealt from a caring heart. What’s not to love?

For more information please visit rareseeds.com. I encourage you to do this.

Love and Christmas blessings,
Kathryn xoxox

Posted on December 20th, 2010 by Kathryn
Filed under: Field Trips | 12 Comments »