“What’s News?”
at the AELC

  I have never had poison ivy. Knock on wood. I have also never had the chicken pox, so other than an occasional itchy mosquito bite I have never had an unbearable itch. I sometimes wonder, do they feel the same? One group of students asked me if you get come in contact with poison ivy if you get itchy right away or if it progresses over time. I’m not really sorry to say that I didn’t have an answer for that student.

During the school year, we have summer and winter programs that our Educational Director does with school groups. In the winter they’ve done activities such as survival training and in the summer, they’ve done river exploration, the Helen Keller Trail, Lookout point, etc. Every time I’ve helped lead a group of students on a trail during the summer, I’ve noticed that they all get told the same one very important thing.
  We encourage exploration. Look. Ask. Learn. However, when it comes to plants, if you don’t know what the plant is follow the golden rule. At the Agassiz Environmental Learning Center the golden rule is not ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. The official summer golden rule of the AELC is ‘Leaves of three, let it be.’
  I’m sure I’ve seen poison ivy many times. I know I’ve seen plenty of plants with three leaves. Even little clovers have three leaves, unless you’re lucky enough to find the four-leaf clover. (I never have.) I’ve even seen pictures of it in books. Reader’s Digest just had a small write-up on how to deal with these poisonous plants and they had great, colorful pictures of Poison Oak, Ivy and Sumac. Yet seeing a picture or reading the definition is nothing like experiencing the real thing. Which, I hope none of you are misfortunate enough to do.
  In a children’s dictionary at home I looked up poison ivy and it states “Poison ivy noun a shrub or climbing vine with clusters of three shiny, green leaves. Poison ivy causes an itchy rash on most people who touch it.” There was no picture for the children to see. The adults’ dictionary said pretty much the same thing, greenish flowers, ivory-colored berries, causes a rash. However, the adult dictionary has a small black and white picture. I just thought if we were going to publish a picture it should be in color, like Reader’s Digest, and in the children’s dictionary so they can see it and have an idea of what to stay away from.
  We are now officially into summer. The bridge on our gravel road leading to the AELC flooded over this week. So now I know spring is over, the snow is gone, the land is green and a new season has arrived. Summer has always been my favorite season. When my family lived in Ada, my brother, my sister and I would explore our “woods” – a small cluster of trees surrounded by many acres of farmland. I am excited for this summer because now my family and I can go out and really explore. My niece and nephew love coming out to the center with me and walking the trails and feeding the fish.
  So, as you come out to explore remember the motto “leaves of three let them be. To ask questions, make comments, or become a member call Jacque at the AELC, 218-945-3129 or e-mail at aelc@gvtel.com. We appreciate all the support!

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