Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Weeding out poisonous plants
Summer means that trees and flowers are in full bloom, but picking certain plants in Monmouth and Middlesex counties could lead to burns almost as hot as the August sun… The most well-known offender, as well as the most common in central New Jersey, is poison ivy, which can cause skin irritations like rashes, blisters, itching and swelling when people come into contact with it… “The seeds are spread by birds, and they’ll grow wherever there’s a space for them to grow,” said Bill Hlubik, agricultural agent for Rutgers University’s New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County. “Typically, you’ll start to see them in areas that people are not maintaining.” According to Hlubik, who serves as a professor at Rutgers, poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak – all of which can be found in Monmouth and Middlesex counties – contain an oil known as urushiol, which causes skin irritation.
Rutgers Equine Science Center kicks off 15 years of excellence
Close to 100 people attended the 2016 Rutgers Equine Science Center summer showcase in the kickoff celebration of the center’s 15-year anniversary… Welcoming remarks were given by Dr. Karyn Malinowski, director of the Equine Science Center, Dr. Wendi…