How to Educate Ourselves and Our Community
As you probably see by now, many familiar plants can be harmful despite their appealing appearance. We have listed many common toxic plants, but it is hardly a comprehensive list. There is so much more to the world of plants that you and your family need to know, and we are here to help you understand where to start.
Poison Control Centers
Poison control centers were created to protect citizens in case of exposure to toxins. They help with both accidental medical overdoses and poisonous plant exposure. Many of them have different programs to help inform people of dangerous substances, which you can sign up for on their website. They may also have a list of the poisonous plants in your area.
These lists tend to be brief, listing only the plant name and a brief description of symptoms that follow ingestion. An example is the Washington State poison control center. Their list includes common “safe” and “unsafe” plants, with a number to rate each unsafe plant’s toxicity.
It isn’t an all-encompassing system, but it is simple and straight to the point, which is helpful. Looking over this list and then searching for pictures of each plant can be extremely beneficial. It will help you better understand what plants you and your loved ones should avoid.
Plant Identification Guides
Plant identification guides can be very informative. Local guides are especially useful when it comes to learning about your home turf. They will usually contain plant descriptors along with pictures to make it simpler to identify what you are looking at.
Phone apps that act as plant identifiers also deserve a mention. They are less bulky and will scan their database for you, taking away the need to flip through so many pages in a book. These apps can also lead you to other internet sources that describe the plant in more detail.
However, books don’t require subscription fees or a solid internet connection. Both options are great despite their inherent flaws. I suggest trying both and seeing which you like best.
Plant ID guides are great to not only get familiar with the poisonous plants in your area but the benign ones as well. Taking walks and learning more about your surroundings can make you a more confident source of information for others. You can also take your children with you and use these guides to help them understand the world they live in.
Make a Game
After you have looked up many different poisonous plants, it can be difficult to remember what they look like and the symptoms associated with each one. Something that can help you remember what the poisonous plants look like and how to avoid them is making a game for yourself. Games can take the edge off of learning by introducing a competitive element (even if it is just a competition with yourself).
You can print out pictures of the different plants, or better yet, you and your family can try to draw accurate pictures of them onto note cards. These pictures can then be used as flash cards, with information written on the back. You can try to make a matching game out of them. Throw some benign plants in the mix and see if your family can properly sort them. The options are only limited by your imagination!