What can the natural features of our beautiful surrounding landscapes teach us about the ecological and human history of our environment?

On Sunday, Oct. 18, the Edgecomb Historical Society, in partnership with the Schmid Preserve Committee, will host Tom Wessels: Forest Forensics at the Edgecomb Town Hall from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Wessels will view slides of Edgecomb landscape features to demonstrate how we can decipher evidence about the history of our area. Learning to interpret the natural features we see encourages us to look past the beautiful natural scenery and see clues left there by past events. For example, Wessels will interpret evidence in photos of the Schmid Preserve to determine whether the landscapes were once used for farming or logging or were perhaps impacted by fire or storms.

By “reading the landscape,” we can recognize clues that tell us something about the environmental and human history of the area.

Wessels is a renowned terrestrial ecologist and professor at Antioch University where he founded a master’s degree program in conservation biology. He has authored several books, including “Reading the Forested Landscape,” “The Granite Landscape,” and “The Myth of Progress.” A selection of his books will be for sale during the presentation.

The talk is free, but donations to the Edgecomb Historical Society are gratefully accepted. This presentation is supported by a generous donation from the First National Bank.