Wednesday April 28 6:18 PM ET

Singers Rock Around Tree Top

STAFFORD, Calif. (AP) - Joan Baez and Bonnie Raitt were hoisted up a
180-foot redwood to honor an environmental activist who has lived atop the
tree for more than a year.

The two singers climbed a steep, two-mile mountain on April 22 - Earth Day -
and reached Julia "Butterfly" Hill's plywood perch with the help of a
pulley system.

The singers serenaded Ms. Hill, and she responded by reading a poem she
wrote about snow. They chatted for about 30 minutes as a filmmaker preserved
the meeting on video.

"To experience Julia's commitment and love for these forests in person was
a life-changing event," Ms. Raitt said. "She was literally shining."

Ms. Baez added, "Visiting Julia Butterfly was one of the most remarkable
experiences of my life."

Ms. Hill has lived atop the ancient tree for nearly 11/2 years without
touching the ground to protest logging of ancient redwood trees 250 miles
north of San Francisco.




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