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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Camp Revamped

Anti-Bullying Tenets Enhance Summer Fun

Many summer camps have taken steps to prevent bullying, reflecting mainstream trends. Attendees at Camp Dark Waters, a Medford, New Jersey, residential camp for ages 7 through 16 founded on Quaker principles, are asked to abide by a list of Anti-Bullying Campers’ Rights:
  •     I have the right to be happy and to be treated with kindness. No one will laugh at me, ignore me or hurt my feelings.
  •     I have the right to be myself. No one will treat me unfairly because I am fat or thin, fast or slow, strong or weak, a boy or girl. I am different because I am myself.
  •     I have the right to be safe. No one will hit, kick, push or pinch me. I will be free from physical threats.
  •    I have the right to hear and be heard. No one will yell, scream or shout and my opinions and desires will be considered in any plans we make.
  •     I have the right to learn about myself. I will be free to express my feelings and opinions without being interrupted or punished.
Bullying campers are warned that if they fail to honor these rights, they’ll be sent home.

Source: MetroKids.com

Bully Camp Global Briefs
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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