Featured Member: The Bower
Featured member, The Bower, is a forest farm and ecotherapy venue set at the heart of more than 900 acres of conservation forest in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. Home to New England’s first certified forest therapy trail, The Bower invites visitors to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with the natural world, and this September it welcomes the community for a magical two-night celebration under the full moon.
A Forest Protected in Perpetuity
The Bower sits within a working forest landscape managed by North Country Land Stewards LLC and protected by conservation easements held by the New England Forestry Foundation. That protection ensures the land will remain undeveloped open space forever, a legacy of Dave and Tanya Tellman, dedicated forest stewards and outdoor educators who lived on and cared for the land for over fifty years.
The easement today safeguards a rich forest mosaic of diverse wildlife habitats, old growth stands, and special wetland ecosystems. The current stewardship team continues the Tellmans’ mission through sustainable forest management, wildlife habitat care, outdoor education, and guided ecotherapy programs, all aimed at conserving the land for the benefit of future generations and the wider North Country community.
New England’s First Forest Therapy Trail
At the heart of The Bower’s offerings is its forest therapy trail, developed over a year of collaboration with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. The result is New England’s very first ANFT-certified forest therapy trail, part of a worldwide network of certified trails and spaces.
Forest therapy, sometimes called forest bathing, is a guided practice of slowing down and engaging the senses in a natural setting. The steward behind The Bower discovered the practice while researching gentle, low-impact ways to bring people into relationship with nature for recreation, education, and healing, values that align closely with the land’s conservation mission. Having experienced the healing energy of the forest firsthand over six years of living and working on the land, she set out to share that experience with others in a way that honors and protects it.
A Story Rooted in Connection
The Bower’s story is deeply personal. Its founder traces her love of trees back to a childhood friendship with an enormous banyan tree near her birthplace far to the south, a tree whose shady maze of trunks became a place of peace even after it was cut down for development. That early bond left a lasting impression, and years of living in busy urban environments only deepened her longing to live closer to the forest.
After nearly fifteen years of searching, she found the property, then known as Pine Knob Farm, in 2020 and describes setting foot on the mile-long lane through its tunnel of sugar maples as love at first sight. She has spent the years since learning the role of land steward piece by piece, guided by the mentorship of Tanya Tellman, knowledgeable neighbors, consulting foresters, and the New England Forestry Foundation.
The Life Forest Midnight Market Returns
This autumn, The Bower celebrates the launch of its forest therapy trail by hosting the beloved Life Forest Midnight Market for its fifth year. This magical moonlit festival gathers local artists, craftspeople, and community members in a scenic clearing at the heart of the forest, right at the trailhead.
The Midnight Market takes place over two consecutive evenings, Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26, from 6 pm to midnight. Guests will enjoy a local arts and crafts vendor village, live music, a campfire, delicious food, and guided moonlit forest therapy walks. The timing is ideal: a full moon weekend during peak North Country autumn colors, one of the most spectacular times of year in the White Mountains.
Attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance to reserve a spot on the free guest shuttle, and out-of-town visitors should book lodging early, since inns and campgrounds in the region often fill weeks ahead of peak foliage.
Plan Your Visit
Whether you are drawn by the promise of a quiet walk among old growth trees or the glow of a moonlit market, The Bower offers a rare chance to experience a protected North Country forest up close.
To learn more, RSVP to the Midnight Market, or explore the forest therapy trail, visit thebowernh.com.
