I’m writing about Poison Parsnip. I’m beginning to see my yard (along the street side) filling up with it. Last summer the town mowers did not mow as far as my property, as they had in previous years, giving these plants a chance to seed and grow. Now I’m planning a few fully hazMat-suited sessions to get rid of it. If any oil gets on me, it could create serious health conditions, and the treatment for the health conditions could open the door for even more serious health problems (i.e. cancer).
We see lots of infrastructure work and town beautification happening downtown. How about a little attention paid to our roadsides. Even unsuspecting bicyclists risk contracting rashes from this rampant poisonous weed. The plant needs to be eradicated, and without using Roundup, which kills all the healthy, pretty things too.
Kate Schmitt
Middlebury