For Peter Bergh, a love of the outdoors has always been a throughline. From hiking as a scout in the Adirondacks to studying park and recreation management at the University of Maine, to working as a Master Maine Guide for L.L. Bean—his connection to the Northern Forest is deep and wide. “A lot of who I am as an adult was formed through those early experiences,” he says. 

That lifelong love of the North Country led Peter and his wife, Janet Prince, to find a 40-acre property along the Cold River in the southern White Mountains. It’s just over an hour from their home on New Hampshire’s Seacoast, but “a world away,” Peter says. “It’s amazing hiking, skiing, close to trailheads—many of the things I love.” 

While Peter is the outdoor adventurer and Janet is more of a city person, they both love to travel, appreciate how the region’s vitality affects the whole state, and are deeply dedicated to community well-being. “It’s our backyard,” the couple agrees. “What happens up north matters down south.” 

Seeing the whole region, adapting to community 

Peter has been involved in land conservation for more than 30 years and first encountered the Northern Forest Center through conservation work in the White Mountains. He and Janet quickly recognized the Center’s unique, community-driven approach to working in the region. “Land conservation in the North Country doesn’t work the same way as down south,” Peter notes. “The Center sees the region as a whole and adapts to each place.” 

As a longtime board member, Peter visited communities across all four states where the Center works—reconnecting with the Adirondacks after decades away. “The issues may look unique in each place across the Northern Forest, but the differences are fewer than the similarities,” he says.  

Although big real estate projects like the redevelopment of the historic Gehring House in Bethel, Maine, are exciting to be a part of, Peter and Janet find the Center’s ongoing, behind-the-scenes work most compelling. “It’s about helping create wayfinding signs that make a town feel more welcoming; supporting schools in converting to wood pellet boilers that use cost-stable and locally sourced fuel; and helping towns protect Community Forests where local kids and families can get outside. That nuts-and-bolts work of rural community economic revitalization matters.” 

Investing in the Future, A Safe Bet 

Inspired by the Center’s practical, place-based solutions, Peter and Janet have supported the Center through both philanthropic gifts and impact-first investments in the Northern Forest Fund. “Investing gave us a way to stretch further than we could have with a cash gift alone because we knew that we’d have the opportunity to get the money back at the end of the loan term,” Peter explains. “That said, we’re already committed to reinvesting, and at some point, hopefully donating the principal when our loans come due.” 

For those who are worried about current market volatility and economic uncertainty, Peter suggests that the Center offers a relatively secure mission-driven option. “They’re building up a track record of delivering on impact, staying on budget, and working where there continues to be strong market demand.” Peter suggests, “While no investment is risk free, to us, this one looks good on a lot of levels.”  

The couple’s belief in the Center’s vision remains strong. “Stewarding communities is like stewarding land—it’s not always flashy, but it’s essential,” Peter and Janet agree. Together, they are among a growing community of donors and investors who are helping build a resilient, thriving future for the Northern Forest. Please join them today.