Members of the Weisenberg-Lowhill Historical Society had a special treat during their Feb. 26 quarterly meeting at the Weisenberg Municipal Building as Sue Tantsits, co-owner, of Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery, gave a special presentation titled “Our Legacy Landscape.”

She explained Edge of the Woods was founded 17 years ago to bring back native vegetation to the local area.

Tantsits’ discussion was highlighted by the many beautiful pictures she brought along to illustrate her presentation.

She gave six reasons to support native plantings: beautiful color, saving on water and fertilizer, reduction in diseases, attracting beneficial insects, providing habitat for animals and restoring and balancing the ecology.

Her first picture was of the municipal building’s garden, which she designed, centered on the foundation of an old barn.

A second picture was captioned with the saying “Awareness of the influence people have had on the landscape and what influence we have on plants.”

Tantsits said one of the best things plants do for people is to sequester carbon. Trees do that best after about 10 years of age.

“They hold soil, recycle nutrients, reduce stormwater damage and filter water,” Tantsits said. “Eighty percent of our plants require pollination, and natural plantings provide space for pollinators to thrive.”

She noted the moraines, the stone fields (boulder trains) left behind by glaciers, give plants cracks and crevices to gain a hold with moss and lichens growing there.

The mountains were 80 percent covered with forest except where the native peoples cleared enough space for their villages. Trees were mostly chestnut, oaks, hickory, hemlock and white pine.

In this area, farming changed the forests, and fields were opened. By the 1700s, natives were moving west.

Plants adapted to geology, hydrology and climate but could not adapt to humans.

Railroads and logging brought forest farmers. Land was clear-cut in the 1900s because forests became economically valuable.

Many of the trees were between 80 and 100 years old, which is a concern to foresters because so many of the new forests are young.

“It’s a renewable resource that can provide more lumber but it needs to be managed,” said Tantsits.

She said the rail lines are being changed over to trails but believes the railroads will be back someday.

Botanist John Bartram began cataloging plants in the 1700s. He brought ornamental European plants to North America, such as chicory and Queen Anne’s Lace.

The American chestnut was dominant until the 1900s when Chinese trees were imported and brought blight.

Occasionally, a killed tree will regrow from the roots that are not blight killed.

Tantsits has 100 chestnut trees at Edge of the Woods to help restore the trees.

Since 2012, she has grown 6- to 8-foot-high trees and some are fruiting showing blight resistance.

Wolf trees, also called pasture trees, are single trees in a hedgerow or in a field that provide shade.

Oak trees in a woods are narrow but in the open they spread. Oaks provide seed and feed with their acorns.

In fields not being planted annually warm season grasses sprout.

Color in native plants is more subtle. Milkweed is needed by monarch butterflies.

“We don’t know what plant ecology will be in future years, Tantsits said. “It will be interesting to see what the landscape will bring.”

In other business: Violet Bachman Moyer Dolliver, who died Feb. 7 at age 100, donated eight nature paintings to the historical society.

Historical society member Jim Bachman said Bachman Moyer Dolliver had been painting for many years. She had been a teacher who was raised in New Tripoli near Schmidt’s Berry Farm.

During reorganization, Gloria Zimmerman was named president. Sterling Reinert and Nancy Handwerk will share the vice president slot. Althea Hahn will serve as treasurer and Deb Zettlemoyer as secretary. Ann Wertman is a new board member.

Debi Zvanut was selling raffle tickets for the first basket raffle of the season.

Genealogy classes are held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month at the old Zimmerman’s Hotel, now the historical society headquarters in Werleys Corner. Attendees can come and leave as they want.

The annual basket social will be 2-6 p.m. April 27, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 28 at the Fogelsville Auction Center.

Upcoming are the May quarterly meeting with Marie Molly discussing the 18th century German immigration, food trucks at Werley’s Corner on Father’s Day with an auto and truck show.