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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Inclusion Festival Returns in August

Inclusion Festival, billed as the nation’s first and only sensory-friendly music and wellness festival, is an event designed to include and accommodate people of all ages and abilities. Attendees are invited to participate in a variety of educational and wellness workshops, enjoy sensory-friendly live music, engage in mindfulness practices and build supportive connections. The festival will be held August 9 through 11, at Mountain Sky Festival Grounds, in Jermyn, Pennsylvania. Music festivals evoke feelings of joy, connection and open-mindedness, and present powerful platforms for inspiring social change. However, large crowds and loud music can limit opportunities and enjoyment for individuals living with sensory-processing issues like autism, ADHD and anxiety. This unique event, developed around the ideas of accessibility, inclusion and compassion, not only benefits those with special needs, but also strengthens the well-being of society by demonstrating what is possible when communities recognize and embrace the potential contribution of all people. Amy Pinder, who co-founded the event with Leah Barron, shares, “We all have special gifts and talents, and we all have a purpose. I believe it is our responsibility as a society to support one another (with love, understanding, respect and compassion) along our path to identify, cultivate and actualize our purpose, so that we, individually and collectively, can experience true happiness and be free from fear and anxiety.” Location: 63 Still Meadow Lane, Jermyn. Tickets, sponsorships, volunteer and vending opportunities available at InclusionFestival.com. For details, contact 716-204-8881 or [email protected].
News 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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