Leaves of three? Let it be!

Part 1: First Exposure and the facts
I have a distinct memory of summer 2012. I was riding my bike around the beautiful island of Martha's Vineyard when I pedaled up to a house with dozens of goats just hanging out and munching in the yard. I saw the lady who lived there. "Why do you have so many goats?" I asked. 

GOATS!

She responded, "They're here to eat all of the poison ivy off my lawn." Okay, well that was not the answer I was expecting, but it fascinated me nonetheless. The goats could eat poison ivy? Why would they choose that when there are hundreds of other plants and weeds around? Jon McConaughy, co-owner of Double Brook Farm and Brick Farm Market and Tavern says, "In the case of an animal that needs to eat anyway and is being raised for other purposes, then if we can achieve two things at the same time, and save on diesel fuel and save on the impact on the environment, then it works quite well." He explains that poison ivy is invasive, and the animals enjoy eating it so two birds are killed with one stone. When most think of invasive plants, they think they're coming from somewhere else. Poison ivy, however, is native to the US. There are two types of poison ivy, climbing (Toxicodendron radicans) and non-climbing (Toxicodendron rydbergii). They crossbreed frequently, so there are many different variations of the plant.  Some poison ivy plants also have berries, that birds (especially songbirds) love to eat. 

Meme

Part 2: The first-hand experience
The next summer, I woke up one morning with a red, blistering rash all around my lips and nose. I couldn't breathe. It was due to Toxicodendron radicans, or what is commonly known as poison ivy.  I could not breathe, and I went on steroids to help with the pain. If you've ever been on steroids, you would know they don't always make you feel the best. I had it pretty bad, I even passed out in a Thai restaurant while I was attempting to enjoy some curry. It was the worst.

Part 3: A misidentified hero?

But was it the worst? Now I'm not so sure. On Friday, May 25, Ms. Eckert took us to the Sandy Hook Beach through the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. The women guiding our day mentioned that poison ivy helps keep the beach together. I was just a bit angry because.... what about my face?  What about all the hard work the goats did to un-invade the nice woman's yard? Was it all for nothing? Is poison ivy foe like I had learned to believe? Or is it friend?

Friend or Foe?

Poison ivy makes up 70% of the plants on the beach at Sandy Hook. The more hot and humid the summer is, the more poison ivy there is to look out for, and climate change is a big help in extending the number of poisonous plants. The rise in CO2 in the atmosphere positively correlates with the growth of poison ivy. 

The extensive root system of the plant traps sand blown by the wind, and it allows other plants in the area to grow (this makes it really hard to remove). It also helps to prevent erosion. By removing poison ivy, we're getting rid of a food source for wildlife, and a method of land restoration. 

Figure 4: Urushiol

So it seems poison ivy is a friend to both the beach and the lovely Martha's Vineyard goats, but it still caused the chain reaction that leads me to lie on the floor in my favorite Thai restaurant. So what exactly is it that makes it a foe to us humans?

Part 4: Urushiol (not the villain in The Little Mermaid)
Urushiol is the oil in poison ivy that causes contact dermatitis (itchy, scratchy, bumpy rash) in humans. One billionth of a gram of urushiol can cause the allergic reaction (in 85% of humans--some are not affected). The oil can cling to clothes and tools, but it cannot be contracted through the air, only skin-to-skin contact (so you can still enjoy long days at the beach). Once exposed to the oil, the rash may take up to two weeks to show up. It passes through the epidermis, and your immune response is the rash. 

Urushiol when it comes into contact with the skin

Part 5: The conclusion
There are both good and bad things about poison ivy. While it helps hold the beach together, it causes a horrible itchy rash that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Well, maybe my worst enemy but definitely nobody else.