The original site was challenging, the local herbivory—deer, rabbits, voles and more—had eaten all the native undergrowth, while the tall trees were storm-damaged and weakened. The stream and pond were silted and dying, and the amount of invasive species was quickly increasing.

It took a few years, but we were able to acquire deer-fencing permits through the wetlands and at the pond edges, and we started to make a great difference. But nature had other plans. There was a 250-year-old elm tree in the center of the entry circle. This tree was the main reason for purchasing the property. It was so profound; I caught the arborists holding a prayer circle around the tree; it was threatened by the surrounding weak and leggy pine groves. During Hurricane Irene, a pine came down and sliced the majestic elm in half. It was heartbreaking. However, the tree was resilient. After all, it has been around since the Red Coats came through. We didn’t touch it and it started to regenerate vigorously. The lesson - give nature respect and a chance to repair itself, and you have remarkable results.