Jeny Card: My year in a tree trying to save the ancient redwoods

L.A. Times ^ | 4/3/03 | Jeny Card

[slowry]

For 361 days, I lived high in the branches of an ancient redwood in Humboldt County, Calif., before being forcibly removed by employees of the Pacific Lumber Co., who intended -- and still intend -- to cut the tree down.

During all that time my feet never touched the ground. I slept on a 4-by-8 platform, 130 feet up, that was made of recycled plywood covered by layers of tarps to protect me from rain and high coastal winds.

--snip--

If I had any doubts before climbing into that tree that the natural world was conscious and alive, I do not have them anymore.

The other side of this exhilarating experience was the ongoing destruction of the forest.

--snip--

I could see how people were duped into thinking that governmental agencies cared for the quality of our air and water.

--snip--

When three large men came to remove me from the tree in March, I locked myself to the trunk, 180 feet above the ground. The public road was closed by the company to prevent supporters from witnessing what was about to happen. The men climbed up after me and cut me out. Then they lowered me to the ground, where I was handcuffed and taken to jail. Although the majority of the tree-sitters were men, four of the five taken down that week were women. The trees were left standing, except for one, and other activists took our places in the canopy. Nearly 30 tree-sits continue in the county.

--snip--

The giant redwood was again left standing, but this time viciously and spitefully butchered and left without limbs, in part so that no one could climb it again.

--snip--

Jeny Card, also known as Remedy, is an Earth First! activist. She wrote this article for the Los Angeles Times.

[evad]

Stop it..I'm getting all misty

[b4its2late]

She's lucky she didn't have a burning bush.

[slowry]

Related story

[flashbunny]

I guess plywood is okay as long as it's recycled. Deforrestation once removed is fine if you're using the wood to protest those evil lumberjacks.

[Hanging Chad]

Earth First is a terrorist organization.

[Mears]

Here goes the LA Times again.What a newspaper.

[3AngelaD]

I see the LA Times is still accepting editorial contributions from the mentally challenged. This person is a prize idiot.

[Dionysius]

In the words of the immortal Ronald Reagan:

"If you've seen one redwood, you've seen 'em all."

[Yankee]

During all that time my feet never touched the ground. I slept on a 4-by-8 platform, 130 feet up, that was made of recycled plywood covered by layers of tarps to protect me from rain and high coastal winds.

I spent the last year in a comfortable house, heated in winter, air conditioned in summer, slept on a Select Comfort mattress, ate plenty, drank plenty and made love an average of 3 times a week.

I bought some nice products made from cut down trees too.

[Belial]

Earth First is a terrorist organization.

Now now. If you keep up with hyperboles like that, it's only a matter of time before some political opportunist decides one of your pet causes makes you a terrorist.

[Hanging Chad]

Truth hurts?

[balrog666]

Arg! Tell me that's not you!

[joesnuffy]

With all those secretions from a dirty human leaking onto that poor tree..
all the grease and oil and all kinds of other really yuckie stuff...cant this be construed as "tree abuse"...
Poor tree...no one asked this poor tree if he/she wanted this human in its branches...who will speak for the trees?

[freeper2003]

PERFECT!!!

[Spruce]

I'm renewing my deck this summer. Redwood, of course!

[richardtavor]

Maybe the lumber company should recycle the redwoods into chips and send them to Miss Jeny - seems to me the chips would be softer than that old recycled plywood....

[sticker]

How do you attach plywood and tarps to a tree without hurting it? If you can't she was hurting the tree and should be shamed by the other treehuggers

[richardtavor]

I wondered the same thing--did she tinkle and poot over the side? Poor people below...

[cyborg]

Jeny Card, also known as Remedy, is an Earth First! activist.

*This is an insult to a good Freeper named Remedy and people named Jeny.