A MAN who refused to let a redwood tree be cut down by loggers ended up building a house in it and living there for two years .
In October 1998, Nate Madsen was a 25-year-old student living in Humboldt County, California and studying at the state university.
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Nate Masden saved a 120ft tree by living in it for two years Credit: Guardian / eyevine
He also earned cash by doing side jobs but when he wanted to get away from it all, he'd seek refuge in Freshwater Creek Forest.
There, he found his safe haven in an 80-acre grove of giant redwoods.
Speaking to The Guardian, Nate retells his story of how he saved a tree by living in it for two years.
Nate's deep connection with trees from a young age meant he often turned to them in challenging times.
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But when he found some trees marked with orange paint, his worst fears were realised.
The Pacific Lumber Company had stepped up its operations in the area and was devastating old growth forest.
Nate quickly chose three trees to protect but after two of them were destroyed, he decided to matters into his own hands with the last one standing.
The former student reveals that he named it Mariah, after the song They Call The Wind Mariah from the musical Paint Your Wagon.
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Nate details that Mariah was 12ft in diameter and 200ft high, while even her lowest branches were 80ft from the ground.
He used smaller trees that had sprouted off the main trunk at the base in order to work his way up, using a 10ft length of twine to haul his supplies.
Nate revealed he kept climbing up to a height of 130ft, where he was able to make a rudimentary nest on a growth of branches.
After spending the night there, his friend Roger brought him extra food, rope, a sleeping bag and a tarpaulin, before the loggers eventually arrived.
They soon noticed him and left the tree, but didn't leave without attempting to scare him down by cutting Mariah's base with a chainsaw.
Over the next few months, Nate received plenty of abuse and was even shot at in his 160ft-high perch, while a visiting friend had her car rolled over.
Soon, however, he had to drop 40ft down the tree for his own safety, building a platform that secured his long-term residency with Mariah.
Nate did confess that he climbed down when he needed to take a bath, but ensured someone was standing guard while he disappeared.
He also accepted a cellphone for calling in help and a laptop to help him finish his degree.
But when a colleague from the timber company fell and almost lost her life after being sent to "forcibly" remove him, Nate vowed to go it alone.
He ended up spending six months in the tree without touching the ground once.
But just over two years after his first ascent, Nate finally descended after Pacific Lumber withdrew from their harvesting plan.
In the following years, Nate continued to show his love for trees by planting new one's and acquiring a 45-acre virgin forest to save it from destruction.
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He's now part of a steering committee for The Lost Coast League, helping to stop logging in a nearby place called Rainbow Ridge.
But every now and then, he'll drive past Mariah, who is still standing strong 20 years on.