Back in 2013, Alfred Goossens—a certified Virginia Master Naturalist—started to think about poisonous plants. How often, he wondered, were outdoor enthusiasts like him encountering species that might actually be harmful? “There are poisonous plants in our day-to-day life,” he says, “whether in the backyard or when you’re hiking, that many people don’t know about.”
He and some other Master Naturalists ended up talking with Dr. Chris Holstege, who’s not only a toxicologist in the UVA Health System, but also director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center and the Department of Student Health and Wellness. “I went to him and said, ‘How much do you see in the ER?’” Goossens explains. “The incidences were very high.”
It was the genesis of a multidisciplinary project meant to educate the public about plants—and, later, animals—that can cause trouble for the human body. Its called the Socrates Project, after the ancient Greek philosopher said to have been executed using the poisonous hemlock plant. The project brought together artists, naturalists and toxicologists to produce a free booklet published in 2020, featuring lovely artwork depicting 25 plants with ugly effects, plus information about how to identify them in the field.
Now there’s a follow-up called the Cleopatra Project (remember the legend of her suicide by snake bite?) that focuses on animals. The booklet will be published later this year, and as a preview, the lobby of the Student Health and Wellness Center is currently displaying many of the artworks and information for both plants and animals. Members of the Firnew Farm Artists’ Circle in Madison County have supplied the art.
“We’re trying to get students much more engaged in the outdoors,” says Dr. Holstege, explaining why the exhibition is located where students come for health care. “[Doctors are issuing] ‘nature prescriptions’ for everybody, not just students.” Anyone who lacks experience with the nastier local species would do well to bone up a little as they venture into the otherwise very healing great outdoors.
Holstege says that while some toxic species are very well known—think poison ivy—others might come as a surprise, like the beautiful but inedible berries of the pokeberry plant (Phytolacca americana). “Young kids eat them,” he says, “and they cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. They might have to go in for fluids because they get dehydrated.” Adults foraging for wild leeks, meanwhile, might mistakenly harvest American false hellebore (Veratrum viridae), which is potentially fatal.
On the animal side, snakes get a lot of attention, but spiders and caterpillars can also mess up your day. “We certainly get a number of black widow envenomations each year,” says Holstege. (By the way, if you’re wondering about the difference between venomous and poisonous, Holstege explains that venom is injected, as in a bite or sting, while poison enters through the skin or through eating.) The Cleopatra Project includes eight different troublesome caterpillars, five toads, two shrews with poisonous saliva, and even a jellyfish.
“The Eastern newt—it’s quite pretty, brilliant orange during its terrestrial stage—does have a poison in it,” Holstege says. “It could be a risk for pets.”
While it’s certainly important to be aware of these dangers, the project organizers stress that all the plants and animals have a place in our world. They are part of Virginia’s ecology, and some of the very chemicals that are hazardous to humans may also find uses in medicine. The beauty of the paintings, collages, and fabric pieces in the exhibition attests to the respect of the artists for these formidable life forms.
Goossens says that as a public service project, the booklets are not for sale but are distributed to state parks, school nurses, and Master Naturalist chapters. You can also view both projects online.
Even the most familiar species can cause unexpected trouble. “A lot of people don’t know that if you have an open burn or a field fire, and poison ivy burns,” says Holstege, “that toxin gets aerosolized and gets on your skin.” So be careful with those fall brush fires, and watch your step in the woods.