When Chester County artist Margot Taylor heard that the Wawaset oak tree had fallen, she, along with many local residents, visited the site and quietly reflected on its history. The tree had stood alongside a spring house at the entry to the Myrick Conservation Center along Route 842 in Unionville, and it was a Penn oak, meaning it was a tree that was alive during the time when William Penn claimed his territory in Pennsylvania in 1682.

With permission, Taylor collected some leaves from the fallen oak and used them to make clay replicas to create a tribute to the tree and as a way to preserve history.

Samples of these clay leaf replicas will be featured as part of an art exhibit titled "Penn's Wood Celebrated," which will be presented by the Green Valleys Watershed Association (GVWA) on Sunday, Oct. 20, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Welkinweir estate house, 1368 Prizer Road, Pottstown.

Taylor has been collecting and preserving leaves from Penn oak trees since 2016, visiting sites in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.

"I got in my car and drove around after the trees had fallen. I collected the leaves of the trees that I found, and I took them home," she explained, noting that she received permission from each of the property owners before removing the leaves. "I then put them in a bucket of water, rehydrated them, and I put them onto a slab of clay. I rolled them into the slab of clay - one leaf, one clay replica."

Each leaf on display will be accompanied by a description. "I love the history and specialness of the trees and where they stood and (how they are) connected with the human story," said Taylor. "Each of them will be accompanied by a written piece that tells its place in history."

Taylor was able to locate the trees using the book "Penn's Woods 1682 - 1982," authored by GVWA's first executive director, Halfred Wertz, along with M. Joy Callender, The pair researched how many of the documented trees were still alive, starting a multi-year search for the remaining trees.

"In the book, there is a series of chapters. The majority of plants are in Pennsylvania. The Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey (trees) were a separate chapter," Taylor noted. "They stated the tree by number and gave a relative location - all before GPS was available."

Taylor traveled many miles throughout the various states, sometimes accompanied by friends. "What I learned was that living plants become more vital by hydrating them," she said. "I took a bunch of brown leaves from a paper bag, plunged them gently into a bucket of water, and 24 hours later, I had supple leaves to work with."

She recalled visiting an oak tree at the London Grove Meeting that had fallen in 2023. "For a week, people walked quietly and were sitting around the tree, and you would hear the stories of their personal connections," she recalled. "There was a constant endless flow of people. To me, the tree is a living being, and people talked about how that tree was important to them."

Taylor, who is also a landscape architect, said it is important to preserve these Penn oaks, noting that William Penn frequently signed treaties with the Native Americans under an oak tree.

"I encourage (people) to learn the stories of these trees and to visit those (trees that are) still living to witness their magic first hand, before it is too late," said Taylor. She added that she plans to eventually return the clay leaves to the owners of the property where they were found.

Also featured during the "Penn's Woods Celebrated" exhibit will be photos by commercial photographer Carlos Alejandro. "Carlos Alejandro joins me with his amazing photographs of these trees taken over a six-year span," Taylor stated. "He will have an absolutely stunning picture of the fallen London Grove oak that he framed using the wood from the tree."

Admission to the art exhibit is free. Reservations are requested by emailing welkinweir@greenvalleys.org. Walks-ins will also be welcome.

For more information about the event, visit http://www.greenvalleys.org and choose "Events."