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The most ancient of human senses. Touch makes us aware of our surroundings and our feelings. What happens when this very subtle sense is hijacked in subterfuge to deliver a weeks-long shock, tricking our immune system into signaling our body to attack itself?
Welcome to the world of Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy) resin.
During the 2025 Poison Ivy Conference in Philadelphia, we’ll explore the phenomenon of touch between plants and humans.
1. Many folks maintain that they can catch a poison ivy rash” through the air.” That’s not true. Why isn’t it true?
2. People say that a very bad rash is caused by a plant other than poison ivy, like poison oak or sumac. That’s not true. Why do rash intensities differ in different situations?
3. Does a rash from a male or female poison ivy plant present with the same intensity?
Why would that be true?
4. Can male and female poison ivy plants be identified by looking at their leaves as the only cue?
Let’s spend some time in one of the best plant touch gardens in the United States. What understanding will a session of plant tactile experiences reveal about plants, people, and touch?
2025 13th ANNUAL PHILADELPHIA
POISON IVY CONFERENCE
Itinerary
Tuesday, March 19 2025
Presentations at Please Touch Museum
Memorial Hall
4231 Avenue of the Republic Philadelphia, PA 19131
8:30 am – 9:00 am: Registration
9:00 am – 9:30 am : Opening remarks
9:30 am – 10:15 am : “Climbing Poison Ivy Seed from Flower to Bird Eating Ripe Seed– A Practical Almanac” Presented by Umar Mycka
10:15 am – 10:30 am: Break
10:30 am – 12:00 pm: Dr. John Jelesko report on research findings
- Fear and loathing in “poison ivy land”: CO2-associated increased clinical Toxicodendron dermatitis incidence and COVID made it worse..
- Teaching an old dog new tricks: Developing a western poison oak whole genome sequence.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Lunch break
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Museum tour of 1876 Centennial World’s Fair
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Dr. John Jelesko presents on current research into poison ivy plants
- Itching to understand urushi in Japan
- More old dog tricks: Pursuit of a Japanese poison ivy whole genome sequence
3:30 pm – 3:45 pm: Break
3:45 pm – 4:45 pm: Discussion/presentation by conference participants about poison ivy plants growing around the country and around the world
4:45 pm – 5:00 pm: Conference wrap up and closing remarks
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Participants will gather at restaurant for dinner
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Poison Ivy Sumac Field Study
1 Holiday Blvd Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
9:30 am: Participants to meet in parking lot of Holiday Village Community Service Center
10:00 am – 1:00 pm: View young poison sumac plants growing in proximity to human habitation
1:30 pm: Conclusion/wrap-up of conference
I find that one of the joys of being a poison ivy removal contractor company is that we have clients all over our tri-state area and get a chance to visit many interesting sites. One such site in Haddonfield NJ is a marl pit, now on the edges of a residential neighborhood where the first dinosaur bones were found and identified by William Parker Foulke in 1858 for western science. We will visit the site where ,” Hady” the Hadrosaurus Foulki was discovered.
