How we got started.

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The Preserve was founded in 1974 when Tim and Peg 

Spencer Behrendt bought  3.5 acres on Shawangunk

 Road in Cold Brook, N.Y. This place was chosen because

 no highways or other human sounds could be heard. 

They dismantled a small hay shed, gathered old 

windows and other pieces of discarded lumber and 

recycled it into a small house on their small parcel of 

deep forest wetland.

    This was the Vietnam War era and they wanted to

 create and live in a place where senseless killing and

destruction didn’t exist.

    It didn’t take long for them to realize that their small

 sanctuary was compromised by neighboring hunters,

 trappers, and loggers. Piece by piece, they bought 

adjacent parcels of property as they were put up for 

sale, as the money could be raised, and land partners

 found to help finance the  purchase. By living a lifestyle 

that required low capital, they were able to put a major

 portion of their earnings into land.

    This lifestyle entailed driving old VW’s without 

 heaters,with frames supported   by lumber wired 

to the underside,and hiking ½ mile after work in the 

winter through deep snow to get home to their 

unheated cottage, carrying groceries on their backs. 

They started out with candles and kerosene lamps 

for lights, and a small wood stove that wouldn’t hold 

a fire through the night. The insulation was minimal

 at first. A candle set on the floor would blow out.

    Over time, they added solar power, and now use

 a combination of solar and ecologically produced    

  commercial power. (They do not wish to support 

nuclear power, an industry that leaves dangerous

 waste for centuries).  They've added more insulation, 

a better wood stove, back-up LP heaters and many,

 many more acres that are now forever wild, 

protected from logging, hunting, trapping as long 

as there is a Board of Directors for the Preserve

 dedicated to it’s continuation and preservation. 

    Should it be necessary to dissolve the Preserve 

in its present form, the Board is legally committed

 to turn over the lands to a similar organization 

 to continue its  preservation objectives..

    The primary purpose of the Preserve is protection

 of the Preserve lands. This is facilitated by posting

 and patrolling. Hunting, trapping, lumbering, and 

recreational vehicles are not allowed. Major

 alteration of the flora, fauna and topographic structure

 of the property are not allowed. This makes it possible

 for the life forms on these lands to live with minimal

 human impact.

    Because these lands are protected, we are able

 to offer a natural and safe environment to the general

 public in which to offer educational services and 

 cultural programs to foster enjoyment and 

appreciation of nature.

    The philosophy behind this is called “ahimsa” the 

philosophical basis of Mahatma Gandhi. This means

 “minimal harm”. Realizing that it is impossible to live 

without having some impact and destruction of other

 life-forms (animals and plants) at the Preserve, we

 try to minimize that impact while experiencing a 

worthwhile existence. The criteria for this must vary 

according to individual needs and the environment 

we live in, therefore, ahimsa is a subjective concept. 

There are no absolutes. What is minimal harm in one

case may not be in another.

    In this Preserve, we also practice democratic 

decision making including “seats” representing the

 interest of land, sky, water, vegetation and wildlife. 

We value such things as; recycling, a small human

 population within the preserve, organic gardening, 

frugal water use, renewable – safe and well used 

energy, vegetarian or near vegetarian diet, movement 

towards self-sufficiency, holistic health practices and

 simple life styles.