To my friends and supporters to help them make sense of all these events that have happened so quickly:

Certain human cultures have been waging war against the Earth for millennia. I chose to fight on the side of bears, mountain lions, skunks, bats, saguaros, cliff rose and all things wild. I am just the most recent casualty in that war. But tonight I have made a jail break -- I am returning home, to the Earth, to the place of my origins.

Bill, 12/21/05 (the winter solstice)

I Recall This Feeling

To me, Bill's death is a whisper,
an excited rumor rustling through the fallen leaves.
Remember, it breaths.
The moment expands beyond the horizon-
grasshoppers are singing the sun to sleep.
Tonight, the earth twitches.
The wieght of so much life is heavy on her shoulders.
Quickly, swiftly, the whisper tumbles into a chant.
I recall this feeling,
but the words are unfamiliar.
The chant morphs and changes unpredictably,
swirling into and out of itself like the current of a stream.
There is something we have forgotten,
we children,
as we built up our toy houses
and cruised the sidewalks in plastic cars.
Coyotes call to one another in the distance.
Something is about to break open,
yet the chant remains steady and unfaltering.
Remember. Remember. Remember.
We are all children of the earth.

by: Katie Nelson

Bill was such a thoroughly good man. We are all richer for knowing him and having him with us. Please know that I loved and cared for him. -- Peggy

I just heard the news about Bill on the evening rebroadcast of Democracy Now, and I was consumed by sadness and disbelief. When I saw the memorials online, I knew he had left us. This tragedy speaks to the magnitude of the madness that has engulfed this country; the madness and the repression it has bred must stop, and it must stop taking its toll on our best people. It's been an honor and privilege to begin to get to know Bill over the past year or so, and we're all poorer for the loss of his wonderful, caring soul. Much love to you, and strength for the work ahead. -- Brian

Driving back to California yesterday, I had a lot of time to think about Bill and remember him. I remember the few conversations we had as really inspiring -- I was amazed that someone so gentle and non-aggressive could have such positive, powerful hopes for the world. He was definitely someone that I took for granted: a seasoned activist who I figured would always be available to ask for help finding resources or sharing ideas. Words cannot express my impressions of this very human soul -- nor can they contain my shock, anger, sadness and confusion about his death. I was looking forward to hugging him when he got out of jail and having things return to normal. -- Iris

I want you to know something of the life of my dear friend, Bill Rodgers, who died in jail Solstice night. He was a deeply principled and complicated man, living a relatively spartan life, oriented almost entirely around his activism to protect old growth forests and wild places. He made just enough money to keep gas in his truck and spent the bulk of his days in the forests and deserts of the West. He was a wilderness guide and environmental educator who introduced adults to the principles of deep ecology. Bill was an articulate warrior for the wild, for environmental and social justice. He was a small man, delicate bones and gentle movements, who sometimes moved (I swear!) like a cat. And, like a small furry mammal, he was completely at home underground. I don't really know all that he did or didn't do as an activist, whether the allegations against him are true or not. I do know that he was never afraid to speak the truth as he understood it, and he was not afraid to take a stand against power, however risky. I know the inflammatory and politically charged label, "ecoterrorist," is an egregious and inexcusable misnomer. And I don't know what really happened last night in his final moments. It is hard for me to imagine that he -- steadfast and fearless lover and protector of life -- would ever willingly end his own life. All I know right now is that I grieve deeply, that I have lost a dear friend, and the world has lost a precious man who was willing to do anything he could imagine would make it better. Endless tears on this longest, darkest night. -- Gene

Just to add a brief recollection of Bill for those of you who also participated in the Socrates Café at the Info Shop. He was one of the brightest, most thoughtful people I’ve encountered in my 71 years. His insight and depth when he shared his thoughts on a subject were always well worth taking home and pondering. From catching live mice to speaking for those without a voice, he will be well remembered. I believe Socrates could have learned a thing or two. Thanks to Bill for the gift of himself; he was unstinting. -- Peggy

The words most frequently mentioned about Bill have been “gentle,” “kind,” “compassionate,” “good natured,” and “friend.” At a small community gathering the evening we learned of his passing, we recalled funny Bill stories, his “pack rat” alter ego, how he was “the ultimate recycler,” and how he smiled even when he disagreed with you. I don’t know what happened in Bill’s final moments, just as I don’t know what he was or wasn’t involved in before I met him. I only knew him in a post-9/11 world of war and terror; whatever the cause of his passing, Bill appears to many as a casualty of that world. Still, his court-appointed attorney called him “a beautiful man with high principles,” and friends chalked “live wild” on the sidewalk in his honor. Casualty or free spirit, saboteur or man of principle, guilty or innocent -- no matter. His gentleness and compassion will be sorely missed. -- Randall

My confidante, friend and neighbor Bill Rodgers is dead. The media reported that he killed himself in custody. Some say his reported suicide was an admission of guilt. Others are sure he could not have done it himself. As I mourn the passing of my dear friend, I am unsure about these assertions and the federal government that imprisoned him. What I am sure of is that Bill was a kind, compassionate and gentle man who should never have been imprisoned. I pray that Bill’s untimely death reminds us all of what is truly important in life and inspires personal growth beyond the need for injustice and insufficiency in the world. -- Paul

I remember Bill from a year of traveling on a school bus with the Audubon Expedition Institute, exploring the geology, culture and natural spaces of the U.S. and parts of Canada. He was a skinny white kid who seemed to exist on wonder bread and candy, and had never eaten some of the more exotic meals with tofu and brown rice before. But even on his white flour and sugar diet he never seemed to get sick and never lacked for energy! Bill was sweet, enthusiastic and charming. He was one of the few Audubon Expedition Institute students that I could relate to because he wasn't completely wrapped up in "the cause." At the time that I knew him he loved natural spaces but didn't have to be in-your-face about his commitment to loving them. On one of our school breaks he invited me to go caving with him, and I took him up on it. We went to a cave in upstate New York in the middle of winter, and nearly went into hypothermia. I went on to become a dedicated spelunker later, and I attribute this to Bill. I am truly sorry to hear about Bill's passing. It sounds as if he started something really wonderful in The Catalyst. I'm only sorry that I didn't try to connect with him earlier. -- Sara

Deep sympathy from the Southern Appalachian mountains for your recent loss of Bill Rodgers, aka Avalon. I met Avalon in 1996 at the annual Earth First! Round River Rendezvous in the Rocky Mountains of Idaho. At that gathering, Avalon gave or sold me a book he compiled called "Mountains and Rivers Compel Me - A Deep Ecology Reader for Forest Activists." It is an awesome collection of essays, poems, cartoons, and graphics promoting biocentric forest activism and deep ecology. It contains work by John Seed, Joanna Macy, David Abrams, Dave Foreman, Terry Tempest Williams, Calvin and Hobbes, the Far Side, excerpts from the Earth First! Journal, etc. It remains a source of inspiration for my forest activism, and I have used it to turn people on to deep ecology. I've read some of the poems around campfires and used some of the activist oriented material in non-violent direct action trainings. Over the years, when I got discouraged about the state of our planet and our movement, I’ve referred to the book for a sense of purpose and renewal. Again, I am saddened by Avalon's death and I appreciate what y'all have been doing to honor his life and work. I wish y'all the best as you deal with this tragic loss to our movement for the earth and for peace and justice. -- John J.

I just heard about Bill's passing and am so sad for the loss to the Prescott community and the greater world. I met Bill my first semester at Prescott College at the SatSantokh retreat. I remember what a caring individual he was and how happy he was to be helping others -- and who could forget his creative Halloween costumes over the years! Though I am no longer living in Prescott, his arrest and death have affected me and my thoughts are with everyone there. I feel like none of this makes any sense, and then I feel like it all makes sense, that these events have spiraled into something I could never have imagined, and yet I know that it is more important now than ever to keep pushing forward. -- Sabrina

We are shocked to hear about the passing of Bill Rodgers, and wish all of you a lot of strength and hope to carry on. I would like you to know that we are in the middle of a campaign (www.direkte-aktie.net/cms/groenfront.php?itemid=254) and I´m planning to dedicate one of our tree-houses to Bill. It will be an act of great transcendence as eviction is awaited in the first or second week of January. No fading memories or forgotten names, it will go down in action! -- Ilja, Dutch EarthFirst!

I knew Bill Rodgers well during the Cove-Mallard protests in Idaho, which we both attended, and later, the Mt. Graham protests. He also lived for a time in Missoula, where I also lived, in the 90s. I have followed his case with alarm, and now, a great deal of sorrow. -- Erik