It was the worst vacation that Garrett, 13, and Carla, 11, had ever had. They made sure to inform their parents, John and Norma Liebenguth, of this during the drive back to their home in a suburb of Pittsburgh.
The scene of the crime, er "vacation", was their 80-acre woodland southwest of Tidioute in Forest County, Pennsylvania, which they affectionately call "The Land".
The family had just spent the week there building a picnic shelter that John had designed during a flight to Hong Kong, where he was traveling for his job at the time.
Now, they were putting his design to use, including purchasing lumber in Tionesta and transporting it back to the land in a truck so heavily laden that the whole family had to pile up front so that the front wheels could touch the ground.
Despite Garrett and Carla's backseat reviews, the picnic shelter was an exciting step for John and Norma.
Three years prior, in 1997, they had purchased The Land, seeking a retreat to the wilderness away from the bustle of greater Pittsburgh, and a place to make memories with their family.
After researching (pre-internet) over 50 properties within a two-hour radius of their home, they first visited The Land one snowy November day.
They packed the kids in the car and located the property using compass coordinates.
As they hiked the property, they noted mostly young forest and beautiful views of the mountains.
The visit made an impression; months later, they closed on the property.
Then, the snow melted. The place was a trash heap.
They found pieces of an old fire truck. There was an abandoned school bus. The steep uphill drive had a steady stream of water running down it.
As Norma describes it, "The kids thought we were crazy." "It was a good thing the snow was there when we viewed the property; it was a blessing that we bought it."
The more I talk with John and Norma, the more I agree that their decision was indeed a blessing.
Few people are as well-equipped as they are with the vision, work ethic, grit, and yes, stubbornness, to clean up the site as they did, and to continue to steward and enjoy their rustic, off-grid retreat today, nearly 30 years later.
Both John and Norma have strong connections to nature dating back to their childhoods.
Norma's father was a hunter, and they would visit the same area and camp there when she was young.
John had a grandfather who hunted, and a mother who loved being in the woods.
John and Norma met in journalism school and have built upon the legacy of their respective families ever since, backpacking and camping extensively together, and even choosing to spend their honeymoon on a backpacking adventure in Montana's Absaroka Beartooth Range.
In their early years of owning The Land, their road map was clear: Clean up the trash. Put a switchback in the driveway to stop the runoff erosion when it rained.
From there, they made brush piles for wildlife, cut a hiking trail, and built and installed several bluebird nesting boxes.
Over the years, they planted over 80 trees - white oak, black cherry, black walnut and others.
Bears tore down a lot of tubes, but overall, they found the planting to be more successful than they had anticipated.
Beyond that, as Norma describes, "we thought we shouldn't be doing anything, that we should just leave it alone."
That mentality would eventually change.
In the winter of 2017, after seeing a mention in the Tionesta newspaper, The Forest Press, they attended a Forest Landowner Conference hosted by the Woodland Owners of Clarion - Allegheny Valley (WOCAV).
It was their first foray into actively managing а woodland to address issues such as invasive plants and species-specific pests.
They left the conference with the general feeling of "Wow, we should be doing stuff", recalls Norma.
Then, along came Bob Slagter, who you may recognize as a recently retired member of FSF's Board of Directors.
As John describes without hesitation, "He changed our lives."
Bob resides in the same Bradford Woods community, and a neighborhood wine-tasting event was their first exposure to his sense of humor, where they overheard him describing one variety as tasting "exactly like motor oil."
It was Bob who encouraged John and Norma to look into the Pennsylvania Forest Stewards Program.
100 hours of pre-work and two training weekends later, and 21 years after that fateful snowy day when they first visited The Land, they became volunteer Forest Stewards.
As I chatted with them, both John and Norma's eyes lit up when they talked about the program, and about Bob.
They conveyed so much gratitude and appreciation.
In the years since, John and Norma began to undertake bigger stewardship projects on The Land, while simultaneously becoming more involved with WOCAV until its dissolution in 2022.
They worked on their own to knock back the autumn olive on the property, and began a courageous attempt to control the Japanese barberry and multiflora rose before enlisting the help of Ecological Field Services.
To date, they have successfully treated nine acres for invasive plants, with more work to be done.
Today, three generations of the Liebenguth family are making memories on The Land, with the addition of Garrett's and Carla's spouses and five grandchildren, ages 4-10.
Though the family has made some additional improvements, most recently constructing small cabins to accommodate their growing family, they have retained the wild and rustic character of the place.
Besides the cabins and the infamous picnic shelter, there are no other utilities or amenities, excepting a rental porta-a-john that Norma initially gifted to John for his 50th birthday.
The Liebenguths also credit Bob Slagter with helping them to start thinking in earnest about their forest's future.
This year, the Liebenguth family made the decision to donate a conservation easement on the property to the Foundation for Sustainable Forests, along with ownership of the timber so that FSF may practice their ecological and restorative forestry approach there.
In partnership with FSF, the family will continue to steward the forest, while also making new memories on The Land.
Garrett and Carla both acknowledge the significance of this property in their lives and that of their families.
As Carla eloquently describes, "We've enjoyed many celebrations, milestones, and unforgettable (both gorgeous and very wet) camping weekends with friends and family, as well as solitary times to reset. I feel the same sense of awe as I did as a child while seeing a garter snake in a wood trestle, salamanders in damp leaves, unique fungi, and infinite starry skies."
Of the impact of The Land on her children, she says "From their first splashes in the river, sticky marshmallow nights giggling with cousins, to scattering a beloved pet's ashes, we're honored to be anchored as a family by The Land."
Garrett reflects that "The Land taught me the importance of hard work in cleaning up dumpsters of trash, then the value of preservation once all the junk was cleaned."
He believes "there is a lasting effect the land carries with every guest that has visited. It is a great place to clear your mind and get grounded again from all the hustle of everyday life."
One thing that stands out to me is that many of the Liebenguths' activities on The Land are tied to milestones and celebrations - the 30-yard dumpster rented as an anniversary present to clean up the trash heap, a picnic table for Norma for Mother's Day, and the birthday port-a-john, to name a few.
It is a testament to their sense of humor, of course, but also their commitment to this land and their role as stewards.
I hope you will join me in celebrating the addition of this newest milestone, the protection of their land via conservation easement.
On behalf of the Foundation for Sustainable Forests, I want to convey our gratitude and appreciation to the Liebenguth family for their hard work and vision, and look forward to being their partners in stewardship, said Annie Maloney.
As John puts it, "The Land is more than recreation. The Land is a sacred place.
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Upcoming Events
-- January 16: Virtual Our Woods & Waters Film Series [With French Creek Valley Conservancy]
-- February 20: In-Person Our Woods & Waters Film Series [With French Creek Valley Conservancy]
For more information on land conservation, programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Foundation For Sustainable Forests website. Click Here to sign up for updates (top of page). Click Here to support their work.
(Photos: Norma & John Liebenguth and third generation Liebenguths.)
Related Articles This Week:
-- Natural Lands Partners With Landowner, Thornbury Township To Permanently Preserve 14.6 Acre Property In Delaware County [PaEN]
-- Berks Nature Places Conservation Easement On 19.48 Acre Farm In Historic Butter Valley, Berks County [PaEN]
-- DCNR Grants News: NW PA Advances Recreation Economy Study; Community Conservation Grants Open Jan. 12; ATV/Snowmobile Grants Open Feb. 2
NewsClips:
-- Beaver Times: North Country Trail Assn. Accepts Land Donation In Wampum Area, Lawrence County
-- AP: Christmas Tree Retailers Find Lots To Like At PA Wholesale Auction
-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 21 Spring Symposium On Transforming Traditional Lawns Into Resilient, Life-Supporting Habitats With Native Plants [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Woods & Wildlife News: Forest Health Observations; 2026 Agroforestry Conference; Forest Layers - The Understory; Online Learning Opportunities
[Posted: November 28, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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