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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Starry-Eyed Kids

Clear Skies, Cool Nights Open Vast Vistas

The magical night sky is a perfect playground for a child’s imagination.
Wishing upon a star is an iconic activity steeped in everyone’s childhood desire to attain happiness and fulfillment. Actual stargazing can help make parents’ dreams for their children’s well-being come true, as well.

Children are exposed to imagining the larger celestial realm through popular films, science fiction literature and pop songs, plus more tangibly via current sky events. Consider news of the meteoroid that exploded over Russia in February and the latest images from the surface of Mars beamed to us by the NASA rover Curiosity. Experiencing the excitement of early knowledge can bolster academics while fostering a calming sense of the order of nature’s rhythms.

“Astronomy ties into every educational domain—physics, geometry, algebra, history and ecology,” advises former elementary school teacher Hiram Bertoch, of West Valley City, Utah, owner of the KidsKnowIt Network, which maintains 10 free children’s learning websites, including KidsAstronomy.com. Standing in awe at the wonders of the universe can also instill a centering sense of humility in the face of such grandeur.

Autumn is one of the best times for channeling youngsters’ intrigue in constellations, given the clearer skies and comfortably cool nights. This year, families can anticipate a special viewing of the Comet ISON, which is expected to be visible from much of the United States in late November.

Getting Started

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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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