COURT HOUSE – The Agriculture and Natural Resources Department of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County will host a free presentation on poison ivy titled, “Warfare Ivy,” Oct. 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Rutgers Cooperative Extension, 355 Court House-South Dennis Road, Court House.
According to a release, this program is part of a new series, Informational Talks for the Home Gardener, designed to provide free, informational classes for the public.
This class will feature speaker Umar Mycka, of Poison Ivy Horticulturist, Inc. Mycka is a horticulturist with over 45 years in the field including 11 years of experience as a poison ivy removal niche horticulturist in South Jersey, Southeast Pennsylvania and Northern Delaware.
He will be hosting the eighth annual poison ivy conference in Philadelphia in March 2020.
Topics will include: identification of poison ivy, type most likely found in Cape May County, best tools and protective gear for removal, and best soaps for rash removal.
Mycka stated, “There is so much to learn about the removal of poison ivy and also, some interesting facts to share about the plant. For instance, there is a poison ivy plant growing in the Yukon Territory in Canada that is more than 800 years old. This plant is kept from freezing because it’s growing on a hill heated by a thermal spring.”
Jennifer Sawyer, part-time commercial agricultural program associate for Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County, stated, “During this special hour and a half talk, Mycka will be sharing his wealth of knowledge on how to best control and remove poison ivy – even the plant that seems to be everywhere in Cape May County.”
The “Warfare Ivy” class is free and open to the public, however, registration is requested by Oct. 21.
To register go to http://RU-CMC-ANR.eventbrite.com or for information, call 609-465-5115, ext. 3607.
