‘It makes my heart quiver.’

By Sherry Larson

People’s Defender

Healing takes time, hope, and growth. Emerging from the ashes of an 1800’s steam-powered iron blast furnace is Quiverheart Gorge’s forest of flora and fauna. Quiverheart is a serendipitous gift to those who discover the treasure and unexpected landscape of the new addition to The Arc of Appalachia preserve system. Quiverheart Gorge is a 99-acre preserve located at 2199 State Route 781 in Peebles, Ohio.

David and Kim Baker knew their land was exceptional. David had acquired the family farm over time and piece by piece. He explained that most of the land wasn’t useable for farming. After graduating college with a degree in Botany and starting a family, David’s parents offered him a couple of acres to build a home. Through the years, he would purchase all but the small lot where his parents’ house was.

David’s son Matthew loved horses, so in the year 2000, they started a horse farm. They wanted a unique name for the farm that suited the distinct property. Matthew told his dad, “Well when I’m riding the horses, it makes my heart quiver.” Quiverheart Farm – the perfect name for this extraordinary landscape. Transcribed in Old English Script, it gave the Quiverheart name a vintage and majestic feel.

In an emotional conversation, David describes how Matthew tragically lost his life in a car accident on his way to Peebles High School – it was the second day of his junior year and just weeks after David had retired from the phone company. Grief created separation and solitude, and a couple of years later, David found himself alone on the farm.

David thought his life was over, and then came Kim, David’s self-described “soulmate” and bride of nearly 19 years, with her horse in tow. In an Arc of Appalachia publication, David shared, “As we grew closer, we felt we were being called upon to dedicate the rest of our lives to service.”

David reminisces about Matthew’s childhood – a bright, inquisitive child who loved horses, the land and technology. When Matthew was a little boy, he would tell his grandma that someday he wanted to own the farm and turn it into a horse farm. David said, “I couldn’t bring myself not to keep doing it.”

Matthew’s dreams changed David’s initial plans to return the land to nature. They started buying more horses and fencing in fields and pastures for the horses. In 2006, he and Kim became active in 4-H. David said, “I got to the point of life where I could be around kids again – it was a struggle for about five years.”

In 2019, after his second retirement, Kim asked David, “What do you want to do with this land one day?” She said I kept pushing him, “I thought it was important that he do with the land – what he wanted.” David said, “When COVID hit, it made me seriously start thinking about it.” During some time away, David and Kim reflected on the next steps. Kim is an avid “walker in the woods” and photographs beautiful pictures of nature. They started thinking of how to turn their land into a place for others to share in their hiking haven.

Kim shared a photo of the large and stunning waterfall on the property on Facebook. Martin McAllister of The Edge of Appalachia took notice and remembered touring the property years ago when the state approached David’s dad about purchasing the gorge. David’s dad was not interested. McAllister revisited the property and told the Bakers that because of their location, they should contact Nancy Stranahan, Director of The Arc of Appalachia or The Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, to discuss their plans.

It was 2021, and the Bakers opted to contact Stranahan. In an article for The Arc of Appalachia 2022-2023 Community magazine, Stranahan describes her conversation with David Baker and utter astonishment at his research and willingness to do everything possible to make their dream a reality. Although hesitant initially, Stranahan’s hike of the property, accompanied by Andrea Jaeger and naturalist John Howard, won them over. In the publication, she described, “But the gorge – oh, the gorge!… Huge dolomite boulders tilted at odd angles at the floor of the narrow canyon; high above was a rim of sentinel rock walls. Covering the fallen rocks in the sheltered, humid depths of the canyon was a classic carpet of liverworts, columbine, miterwort, two kinds of trillium, abundant ferns, and thick cushions of moss. The waterfall was just as large as David had promised it would be, and it was absolutely enchanting.”

The venture had challenges. The project required endorsements from the township trustees and the County Commissioners to be eligible to apply for the Clean Ohio grant. The trustees were supportive, but the Adams County Commissioners, who were dealing with money shortages, could not justify a project that reduced county income since nonprofit preserve lands are tax-exempt. The Bakers evaded the problem by donating $15,000 to the Arc of Appalachia, which was placed in an endowment fund at a local foundation and would produce sufficient annual income to replace the anticipated lost taxes continually. The commissioners endorsed the grant; it was submitted and approved.

They started building the official trail in January 2023, with the Bakers ever present in the process. Many folks have visited the trail before its official opening. Kim said she loves meeting all the new people. The Quiverheart Falls Trail begins at the trailhead parking lot and is a 1.5-mile loop trail that winds between the canyon floor and the upper rim of the gorge. The Whispering Fern Trail is a 1.25-mile loop trail, but one must hike 2.0 miles on the Quiverheart Falls Trail to access it, thus completing a 3.25-mile hike.

David and Kim live a life of service, keeping Matthew’s memory alive and honoring David’s parents. David’s 92-year-old mother still lives in the original home. Quiverheart Preserve officially opened on February 1, 2024. At a public presentation, David described what the spot must have looked like 200 years ago amidst the smoke-filled sky from the charcoal furnace. He considered the barren land and the sun-baked gorge. He said, “Here at this site, men took all nature had to give. And then, just a few decades later, when there was nothing left to take, they closed up shop and moved their operations to a more heavily forested region to start anew. It’s time to change our script on this land. Nature will heal, but she can certainly use our help.”

The Bakers have dedicated their retirement years to helping the land heal by removing invasive plants on the land and caretaking the preserve. Kim said they will continue for the rest of their lives. “It has been an amazing journey,” she said. Healing is a process, whether of the land or the heart. David never imagined “Quiverheart” to have such a profound meaning when they came up with the name for their farm all those years ago – Quiverheart Gorge will preserve both land and legacy.