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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Rebirthing Books

New Life for Old Friends

Spread the wonders and joys of reading to others while conserving woodlands and other resources and keeping books out of landfills by donating them. Many outlets welcome books that may have been collecting dust at home, but can enrich the lives of others of all ages, both locally and worldwide.
  • Many public libraries are supported by community volunteer “friends of” organizations that sell donated books at deep discounts to the public. Funds raised help underwrite host library programming.
  • Along with selling new and used books online, BetterWorldBooks.com accepts book donations that support national and global literacy initiatives, including in Latin America and Africa. They recently forwarded 37,000 donated books to UK teachers and other educators, and also operate a senior book outreach program.
  • Local chapters of national organizations like Girl Scouts, Kiwanis International, Rotary International and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs frequently collect gently used children’s books.
  • Other donation sites include The Salvation Army, Goodwill, thrift shops and used and antique bookstores.
  • BooksForSoldiers.com lists specific titles military members are requesting. BooksForAfrica.org has shipped 41 million books to Africa’s 54 countries. BooksThroughBars.org supplies prison libraries, while BooksToPrisoners.net links books donated by the public to requests.
  • Include unwanted books when planning a yard sale. Consider the novelty of regifting books. With the Christmas gifting season approaching, parents can bestow a Shakespeare play or Mark Twain tale that meant so much to them decades ago to their kids—including a card explaining its poignancy and significance. The gesture can even spark a greater interest in reading.
 

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Eco Tip
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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