The Little Butterfly That Could

On September 14^th, 2010, nationally recognized activist Julie “Butterfly” Hill paid a special visit to Frostburg State University and deliver her message of hope to students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Ms. Hill, given the nickname, “Butterfly,” as a young girl, gave up a successful career as a business consultant to live in a nearly 2,000 year old California Redwood named, “Luna” for 2 years and 8 days. This experience prompted Butterfly to travel around the nation and begin engaging and motivating people of all ages.

“Everyone’s an activist,” proclaimed Butterfly as she brushed back a few strands of gray hair, a testament to her wisdom. The main focus of Butterfly’s message emphasized the idea that even a single beat of a butterfly’s wings can cause a chain reaction leading to a tornado; simply put, every person makes a difference no matter how big or how small. “Some people will change the world for the worse, it’s inevitable.” This statement was used to mark the importance of making well-informed decisions daily, “It’s impossible not to change the world, you have already just by being in it, why not make a change you can be proud of?” The passion in Butterfly’s voice echoed through the room as she informed the audience that it takes about 25 times the amount of water in a typical water bottle to produce that 1 plastic bottle. This fact and several others drove the point home that simple everyday actions can make a huge difference.

Butterfly is a conversationalist, to say the least. The packed recital hall felt more like a group therapy session than a lecture. Butterfly’s ability to create an environment where the free exchanged of ideas is welcome could be felt by all in attendance; students, especially, were encouraged to ask question and voice their thoughts and opinions. This method of presenting and her passionate demeanor facilitated lengthy conversation that lasted well over her allotted time. Some students didn’t get to have their questions answered due to the lack of time, so Butterfly stayed after and made it a point to speak to each one of them individually.

Butterfly has written 2 books since her time spent in the tree. The first, published in 2000, titled, “The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree. A Woman. And the Struggle to Save The Redwoods,” made the National Best Sellers List. The book documents her time spent in the tree, her trials and tribulations, as well as insight into her life before Luna. The second, aptly titled, “One Makes The Difference: Inspiring Actions That Change Our World,” was published in 2002, and is an addendum of sorts to her presentation; it lays out the steps that a globally conscious citizen should take to help create a better world and also provides a vast number of resources for aiding in this process. Both books are made of environmentally sustainable materials and are available at your local book store or online.