Beulah Preserve: To Love and to Care For

By Kasey Bader, Donor Relations Specialist

Every spring in a ravine by the house, a coyote den comes to life with a litter of scrappy pups ready to play and explore. The yard, once a barley field, is lively again with birds where the carefully planted bushes took root, and coneflowers, flax, arnica, and penstemon now blanket the ground. The wildflower seeds were scattered by hand as an invitation in hopes the birds would feel welcomed and safe to return. A ponderosa pine down the hill, fondly known as Grandfather Tree, looks out over the family land. This land is full of rich, vibrant life, home to Linda, Tom, and all the wild things they welcome to call it home too. This haven is Beulah Preserve.

The word Beulah comes from a biblical passage about having the closest possible relationship to the land and in Hebrew translates to “married to.” A relationship to the land can look like many things. For Tom, it’s trekking to the highest point of the property in winter to admire the clear views of the Hangman Valley to the west and Big Rocks of Dishman Hills to the north. For Linda, it’s quieting a restless grandchild in her arms on the porch while gazing at the full moon as an owl sings a nighttime tune. We may become accustomed to the beauty and connectedness of nature if we never immerse ourselves in a field of native grasses or walk along the seasonal stream that feeds into a larger watershed. Maintaining an intimate connection to the land is part of what Linda and Tom believe is their responsibility as landowners, and what they took to heart when they decided to put Beulah Preserve in a conservation agreement.

The legal agreement protects Beulah forever and reflects the profound love and care Tom and Linda feel for this special place. It also speaks to their concern for surrounding lands affected by growth and development. They hope Beulah Preserve will encourage nearby neighbors to consider their own relationship to the land and begin thinking about what caring for a property means for the connectedness and longevity of the natural world.

“It is not just for one piece of land, no matter how large or small, or one person or family. It is about all of us and all of the earth,” Tom shares. Instead of buildings and housing developments, imagine a corridor of protected riverbanks and meadows along Hangman Creek from Lake Coeur d’Alene to the Spokane River where wildlife raise their young in the spring and trees offer shelter and safety for birds. Meandering creeks and streams flow through as part of a healthy watershed without disruption, and on one of these connecting lands known as Beulah Preserve, future generations can look down the hill from the house to see Grandfather Tree standing tall for as long as it may live.

“It is not just for one piece of land, no matter how large or small, or one person or family. It is about all of us and all of the earth.” – Tom