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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Animals

Bed of oyster shells
Sea Soundscapes Help Regrow Oyster Reefs

Dec 30, 2022 09:30AM

Scientists are amplifying the natural sounds of the sea via underwater speakers to induce baby oysters to swim toward desirable locations for regrowing oyster reefs.

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Seven monarch butterflies
Monarch Butterfly Now Officially Endangered

Sep 30, 2022 09:30AM

The latest update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species includes the migratory monarch butterfly.

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Wild buffalo
International Plan to Rewild Large Mammals

Sep 30, 2022 09:30AM

Large mammals are important ecosystem engineers, shaping natural processes and sequestering carbon, and scientists are planning to reintroduce these animals to the wild.

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Bumble bee pollinating on flower
Common California Bumble Bees Go Missing

Aug 31, 2022 09:30AM

The Western bumble bee, once easily spotted in California, could not be found in a recent survey led by the University of California-Riverside.

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Illustration of blue fish in circle
New Underwater Maps Track Fish

Jul 29, 2022 09:30AM ● By Rachael Oppy

To better track the location and movement of marine fish in U.S. waters, The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries is using a new interactive website.

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Skyline photo of city with skyscrapers and bridge illuminating lights into the night sky and reflecting off water
City Lights are Tough on Birds

Jun 30, 2022 09:30AM

North America hosts about 3 billion fewer birds today than in 1970. The causes include light pollution, climate change, vanishing habitat and pesticides.

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Young child feeding pig in field on farm
Attitudes Changing Toward Animal Rights

Jun 30, 2022 09:30AM

A new survey shows that children differ dramatically from adults in their moral views on animals, suggesting that speciesism is learned as we become socialized.

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Bee feeding off purple flower
Polluted Air Stumps Bees and Butterflies

Jun 30, 2022 09:30AM

Researchers have discovered that air pollutants can confuse pollinators that use odors to navigate and move around and communicate.

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Chainlink fence
The Harmful Effects of Fences on Wildlife and Ecosystems

May 31, 2022 09:30AM

Researchers looking at all the studies of the effects of fences have found that their profound impacts on wildlife and ecosystems are often ignored or greatly underestimated.

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Mother bird feeding baby bird in nest
Climate Change Causing Birds to Lay Eggs Earlier

May 31, 2022 09:30AM

About a third of the bird species nesting in Chicago are laying their eggs a month earlier than they did 100 years ago, and researchers think the culprit in this shift is climate change.

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Bumble bee on flower pollen
More Bad News for Bumblebees

Apr 29, 2022 09:30AM

A study indicates that streptomycin, an antibiotic sprayed on orchard crops to combat bacterial diseases, slows the cognition of bumblebees and reduces their foraging efficiency.

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Watercolor of an orange cat smiling with a brown bird perched on head
Saving Birds from Cats: Simple Strategies to Protect Feathered Friends

Apr 29, 2022 09:30AM ● By Karen Shaw Becker

Domestic felines are the number one human-caused threat to birds in the U.S., but new studies suggest ways to let a cat enjoy the outdoors without endangering winged species.

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Underwater shot of salmon fish
Flip Side of Melting Glaciers May Benefit Salmon

Feb 28, 2022 09:30AM

More than 300 melting glaciers between British Columbia and Alaska have the potential to create 3,800 miles of new salmon habitat by 2100.

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Unfettered wild cat
Unfettered Felines Pose Toxic Hazard to Wildlife

Jan 31, 2022 09:30AM

A study has discovered that free-roaming cats are likely infecting other animals with Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis.

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Family of elephants on dirt road
Tuskless Elephants Adapting to Poaching Scourge

Dec 30, 2021 09:30AM

As a genetic response to intense poaching for ivory, the amount of elephants born without tusks rose from less than one-fifth to nearly 50 percent.

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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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