On October 22nd On October 22 fifteen bioregionalists gathered at the Unitarian Society in New Haven to celebrate Peter Berg’s life and consider afresh his provocative ideas. It was the Sixth Anniversary Potluck and Program of the New Haven Bioregional Group. Peter Berg and Judy
Goldhaft had provided the initial push that helped a few of us to launch this bioregional tribe or family, on October 15, 2005. Peter presented a slide show with talk and a mapping workshop,
while Judy performed her Water Dance, on that day.

Since then we have been “walking the watersheds” of our area, holding monthly potlucks with movies or other programs, learning survival skills, gardening, and generally preparing for a more local way of life in a low energy future. We have defined the Quinnipiac Bioregion, based on the territory of the Quinnipiac Indians as it was at the time of English settlement in 1635. And we still have a lot to learn.

At our program on the 22nd we viewed the lovely film on Peter’s life put together for the Peter
Berg Memorial in San Francisco on October 1st. (Many thanks to Planet Drum for making
this available to us!) Next, we all sat in a circle and took turns reading excerpts from Peter’s
writings. After an interlude of live music, we took some time to share feelings and reflections.
The walls were decorated with colorful banners and artwork with bioregional content, made
especially for the occasion. For example, one said, Bioregion: Geographic Terrain — Terrain of
Consciousness. Very big, took up a whole wall!

Many of those present felt they had gained a better understanding of Peter’s ideas and of
Peter’s importance as a charismatic founder of bioregionalism. At our planning meeting a few
days later, the committee decided to initiate a study group to wrestle in a deeper way with his
contribution and the challenge which is his legacy to all of us who take to heart the ideal of
place-based living.

—Fred Cervin
October 30, 2011