What happens when two great organizations, Wild about Atlantic Highlands, and the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society, get together with a brand new project? Answer: the historic Strauss Mansion becomes a Certified Wildlife Habitat!.
That’s what over the past few months, and a month ago there was a celebration of that accomplishment and one more opportunity to spotlight the mission of Wild About Atlantic Highlands with a community event to honor all that is being achieved.
Marilyn Scherfern, who heads Wild about Atlantic Highlands, and Joanne Dellosso, an officer of the Historical Society, coordinated the joint effort which included numerous volunteers and untold hours of hard work.
In expressing her thanks during the formal celebration ceremony, Scherfen told Dellosso their efforts were a true gift to the community. In appreciation, she presented the Society with a banner celebrating the new partnership.
The working partnership was planned to enhance both organizations and to keep the public informed of what is being offered in the borough in the way of history and preservation as well as beauty and environmental protection. The results were instantaneous with the promise of continuing to be even more successful with more events planned for the future.
Attendance at the Museum as well as at it numerous events had increased considerably since the Covid epidemic, causing significant drops to the Society and numerous organizations and fund raisers. At the same time a larger variety of residents are now learning more about the mission and undertaking of Wild About Atlantic Highlands.
As a special tribute to the Historical Society, Wild About Atlantic Highlands established a small, native-plant garden at the Mansion for three primary reasons: public education, beautification, and broadening the scope of the Society’s habitat there.
In order to keep costs as low as possible and to exemplify how far the sharing idea spreads, specimens for the new garden came from plants from members’ own gardens.
Fall was the perfect time to conduct the rehabilitation since many people were digging up and/or dividing plants in their yards. The idea resulted in 66 plants from 26 different species, including one of New Jersey’s state flower, the common Blue Violet. An additional request resulted in a birdbath for the new habitat.
Because most of the donated plants require sun, a plot of sun-drenched land was selected and required the removal of non-native species, primarily invasive plants, which in itself resulted in the rescue of native plants in the area. These included phlox, asters, evening primrose and the seedlings of pin oak and black walnut trees. Clearing the land also included pruning two rhododendron trees and three, tall rose bushes.
Grass, which covers most of the Mansion’s property, is well-maintained, thought it is also home to many non-native plants, including daylilies and hostas, as well as some invasive species of English Ivy and porcelain berry.
The outer ring of hostas will remain as a garden border temporarily, but discussion is continuing on replacing them with more suitable native plants.
While the vast majority of plants were included within the garden, there was also a second, smaller location cleared to take advantage of both sun and the shade accorded by the mansion’s stairs to accommodate plants like the donated Solomon Seal, that require more shade.
Wild About Atlantic Highlands has worked in numerous other areas around the borough and invites residents to establish their own certified wildlife habitat. They have, in addition to removing invasive species, coordinated a stream cleanup, planted trees, rescued native plants and held a native plant sale. They have also conducted and participated in trail cleanups and family nature events before participating with the Museum in the recent restoration event.
The Strauss Mansion, located at the top of a grassy hill overlooking at the top of E. Mount ave. is a museum, and headquarters for the Historical Society. Described by NJ Historic Trust as a wood-shingled Queen Anne style house built in 1893, it was designed by Solomon Cohen and built by Adolph Hutera as the summer residence of Adolph Strauss. The Strauss family was part of the Jewish summer community at Atlantic Highlands, commuting to New York by ferry.
The house was sold in the 1960s, divided into apartments and ultimately condemned in 1981 for code violations. The Historical Society bought it in 1981, made initial repairs and opened the first floor to the public five years later as a house museum. It remains significant for its high style representation of a Queen Anne ‘summer cottage’ constructed during the golden age of shore-town development.
Visit the Historical Society’s site at www.ahhistory.org for further information on the museum, its open hours and special events.
