[pf] Luna update from the Real Goods Solar Times newsletter

by Fitzsimmons, Diane

15 December 2000 16:44 UTC

Update on the Terrorist Luna Attack & How You Can Help 

Julia Butterfly Hill says that she can truly feel all the prayers and love
that people have been sending to help heal Luna. Many wonderful people have
asked what they can do to help during this sad time. After Luna's terrorist
attack, an incredible team of arborists, foresters, mechanical engineers and
plant specialists has been assembled to help find creative solutions to
ensure Luna's longevity. 

Luna is an over one-thousand year old tree that had previously survived a
fire which created two caves at her noble trunk. The chainsaw cut through
two-thirds of her base destroying a significant portion of the cambium
layer, sapwood and heartwood. Because redwoods are extremely rot-resistant
the cut itself is not a mortal wound but she is extremely vulnerable to
windstorms that rage on the North Coast. Her vascular system has been
severely compromised. Currently, Luna is stabilized by bracing which will
hopefully provide structural integrity so she can weather the winter storms
and have her massive trunk firmly attached to her root system.

Future care will include conducting a massive amount of research regarding
grafting and tissue regeneration; potentially creating a temporary walkway
so the "medical" team and monitors will not impact the tree's root system;
and ongoing monitoring to see how the tree is responding to treatment and to
try to prevent this type of violent attack from happening again. Before this
crime occurred we had planned on raising $50,000 for the Luna Preservation
Endowment to monitor the tree in perpetuity. Now more than ever, funds need
to be raised to protect the tree and all that she stands for.

On the legal front Sanctuary Forest has hired an independent criminal
investigator to find the perpetrator of this hate crime against nature. A
private detective is being hired to facilitate a thorough investigation. The
costs of immediate treatment for the tree, a legal investigation, and
ongoing monitoring efforts will likely exceed the $50,000 endowment that we
initially envisioned. 

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Luna Protection
Fund, please write a check to Sanctuary Forest and write Luna Protection
Fund-DS in the top of your memo. Please mail the check to the Circle of Life
Foundation, PO Box 1940, Redway, CA 95560. You can contact Sanctuary Forest
at (707) 986-1087 or sanctuary@asis.com

Thank you for helping to uphold what Luna stands for: perseverance, strength
and healing. This collaborative effort is not just about saving the world's
most famous tree. Luna is and will always be a reminder that just three
percent of the ancient redwoods remain and these sentinels deserve our
respect and protection.