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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Brigit Strawbridge Howard on Rediscovering Nature

Mar 31, 2020 09:30AM ● By April Thompson

Bee advocate, naturalist and author of Dancing with Bees: A Journey Back to Nature speaks of how immersing herself in the world of bees reawakened her connection to the natural world.

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Green Therapy: Ecopsychology and the Nature Cure

Dec 30, 2019 09:30AM

Ecotherapy, green therapy or nature-based therapy, all branches of ecopsychology, is helping to connect people with nature as a means of healing physical and mental health.

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Into the Woods: Hiking for Health and Happiness

Mar 29, 2019 11:53AM ● By Marlaina Donato

Hiking combines the heart-healthy and anti-aging benefits of walking with the calming and mood-elevating benefits of nature.

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Swimming in Nature, Splashing Safely in Lakes and Oceans

Jul 23, 2015 06:56PM

Bostonian avid open-water swimmer Kate Radville is delighted that water constitutes 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. “The controlled envir...

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Adventures In Nature, Families Create Memories at Nearby Parks

Jul 08, 2015 10:06AM

Here’s how to entertain the kids, keep them healthy and get them outdoors this summer. Where to Go Traveling to iconic natural wonders like ...

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Earth Music

Mar 31, 2013 08:00PM

Saving Nature’s Wild SymphonyWe may be drawn to the sounds of waves or woodland streams or beguiled by the subtle winds and creature voices ...

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Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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