Mark & Courtney Peterson Nature Preserve
At the end of last year (2022), Lacawac Sanctuary was privileged to receive a donation of 87 acres of forested land in Lackawaxen Township, Pike County from Mark and Courtney Peterson. Here is their story and how they came to select Lacawac to permanently conserve their land.
Dr. Mark Peterson grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota in a region surrounded by forests and lakes. But as a young veterinarian, Mark moved to New York City the mid-1970’s to pursue his career. After living in the middle of the City for a couple of years, Mark was invited to visit a client’s wooded retreat in the Northern Poconos of Pennsylvania. It was there, away from the from the hustle and bustle of the big city, that he began to truly appreciate the beauty of nature and the quiet of the forest. During the next few years, Mark made frequent visits to his client’s property, which was comprised of 1000+ acres of completely wooded land situated along the Lackawaxen River in Pike County. Mark fell in love with the property, spending many hours wandering through the land’s undeveloped forests. On his many hikes, he observed a variety of wild animals living on the land, including deer, black bears, coyotes, fox, raccoons, and opossums. Mark began to truly appreciate land conservation and how important it is to protect such undeveloped habitats needed for animals to survive and thrive. |
As the years passed, Mark decided that he was ready to own a few acres of his own in Pike County. In the late 1980’s, Mark told his client and now friend, that if she ever sold the property, he would be interested in purchasing some land from her. She agreed, but said she had no plans to sell. However, in the early 1990’s, Mark was surprised and shocked to learn that his friend had sold her land to a developer. Thankfully, Mark would soon find out that his friend saved about 130 acres of prime, undeveloped land for him.
After borrowing money from his family to purchase the land, Mark set out to settle into his new land setting up a rustic shanty as a get-away from city living. Over time, Mark was able to break ground and construct a house on the property in 1995. Prior to and after his marriage to Courtney, Mark continued to purchase additional tracts of land that became available for sale adjacent to his property in Lackawaxen Township. The Peterson’s felt strongly about protecting and conserving as much land as possible from development. With an intense desire to conserve their land and after years of exploring various ways and nonprofits to protect their land from any development, Courtney and Mark unexpectedly learned of Lacawac Sanctuary through a friend. After some time discussing their needs with representatives from Lacawac, the Peterson’s felt it was a right fit to have Lacawac conserve their land. When asked why they chose Lacawac, Mark and Courtney said that one of the deciding factors was Lacawac’s mission of research and education. Ultimately, they felt comfortable that Lacawac would ensure their land will remain beautiful and undeveloped for all future generations. |