If it is fresh it can actually do more harm than good - I never take the mulch from those companies. Unless it was from a dead tree or it has been sitting somewhere for some time it is not good for plants.

You're right. If poison ivy grows in the vicinity it could very well be contained in the mulch. And anyway although lots of people pick up free ground up tree parts to use as mulch in San Antonio when I went out to the site where it is offered and looked at it it seemed to be in too large chunks to look attractive.

Live oak leaves that people are starting to put out for the trash men might be a better alternative for use as mulch. I pick up scores of bags from the curbs in my neighborhood and apply thick layers on all the areas without grass.

Happy mulching! To mulch is good.

There is no way to get rid of the oil....it is very very very slow to biodegrade...even long dead plants still contain it (my forearms know this from experience...never even saw it, and I can identify the vine). I wouldn't risk it, to be honest. Poison ivy rash is miserable...and if you happen to be one of those people that reacts to the extreme...well, it's really awful. I despise poison ivy.

Oak leaves as suggested work well...you may want to stir them a bit now and then as they can get compacted. Unshredded, they take a really long time to break down.