Moon phase: Waxing gibbous Weather: Raining, finally Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is a much-hated plant, with good reason, but I still think it's kinda pretty. When I was working as an invasive-plant remover, I had people asking me if I was getting rid of poison ivy along with the other vines, but I had to regretfully tell them that as a native species, it couldn't be removed. And surely, it plays some role in the forest's ecology, at the very least preventing exotic vines from taking over. I've found in the last few years that I'm no longer allergic to poison ivy, which is great since I spend so much time trampling through the woods. But for those who are allergic, a great way to prevent the rash is to rub crushed jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) leaves and stems on the area where you touched the poison ivy, which is supposed to be effective at washing away the urushiol that causes the rash. The science on this is conflicting — I've seen studies saying it works and studies saying it doesn't. But at the very least, it doesn't hurt, and you can always back it up with some of that brown soap.