Still Time for Joy

“Birding by Boat” combines so many joyful activities: spending time on the water, observing nature, and learning new information while being in community. A recent two-hour trip out of Tuckerton Seaport in Ocean County, at the New Jersey shore, was sponsored by the Southern Ocean Birding Group. Josh Gant, who is vice president of the SOBG and also president of the Atlantic Audubon Society, led the educational tour. Participants learned about the birds along Tuckerton Creek and Barnegat Bay, as well as the importance of protecting habitat for today’s wildlife and future generations.

New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation, and it’s common to find pristine, natural areas right next to dense development. The trip passed by the nearly 6,000-acre Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area, where the casinos of Atlantic City can be seen rising in the background.

Tuckerton Seaport https://tuckertonseaport.org/
Southern Ocean Birding Group https://southernoceanbirdinggroup.org/ 
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Margaret (Peggy) Swarbrick, Ph.D. has spent a lifetime developing and teaching about “The 8 Dimensions of Wellness”, a framework she originally designed to help people struggling with mental health and addiction challenges, and trauma. Her work has been endorsed by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and has been widely adopted by corporations, schools and universities, and other organizations across the country.

Dr. Swarbrick is the associate director of the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and is the director of ScarletWell, a holistic, public health-focused mental health and wellness initiative. 
She also serves as director of the Wellness Institute at Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey.

An occupational therapist, Dr. Swarbrick explains how making small changes within the 8 dimensions - such as improving social support networks, and doing meaningful work -  can help anyone lead a happier, healthier life. The 8 Dimensions of Wellness are physical, intellectual, environmental, emotional, financial, social, spiritual, and occupational. The process includes examining what you are already doing well in each area, and expanding and adding to those good habits.

For more information visit https://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/scarletwell, or Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey at https://cspnj.org.

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Every May and June, along the Delaware Bay, trained volunteers with reTURN the Favor help horseshoe crabs stranded on their backs by righting them and pointing them towards the water. These crabs, whose eggs are critical to the survival of migratory shorebirds, would otherwise perish if they were unable to right themselves on their own.
Scientists say horseshoe crabs have been on the Earth for some 400 million years - before the dinosaurs. Millions of crabs come to the Delaware Bay every year to spawn. Many species of birds, turtles, and fish feast on the crabs nutrient-rich eggs every spring. The crabs' population has fluctuated over the years; New Jersey has protections in place now to help the number of horseshoe crabs continue to grow.
The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, oversees a coalition of groups that form reTURN the Favor. Lisa Ferguson, director of research & conservation at the institute, explains how the program works, and why it’s important. ReTURN the Favor volunteer Caroline Behnke leads a walk in Villas, New Jersey, where participants eagerly help the crabs.
Special thanks to Shane Godshall of the American Littoral Society and Glenn Wagner for contributing images for this story. 

reTURN the Favor https://returnthefavornj.org/
The Wetlands Institute https://wetlandsinstitute.org/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Beach Days for All raises funds to improve beach access at the New Jersey Shore for people with mobility issues. Hard, connecting panels are placed on the sand, allowing people in wheelchairs to get closer to the ocean. The panels have also made it easier for elderly people to enjoy the many benefits of spending time near the ocean.
Jessica Krill, founder and president of Beach Days for All, explains how anyone interested can help make beaches in more Jersey Shore towns more accessible.
Beach Days for All https://beachdaysforall.org/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Every year, the nonprofit Barnegat Bay Partnership holds the Barnegat Bay Blitz, a massive trash cleanup throughout the bay's watershed at the New Jersey Shore. In the past two years, volunteers picked up about 13 tons of trash, beautifying the area, and protecting wildlife. The Barnegat Bay is an ecological treasure, and an extremely popular spot for boating, fishing, crabbing, and other recreation.
Development along the Barnegat Bay has exploded since the mid-1950s,  affecting water quality and wildlife. 
In this episode, Caroline McFarland, stewardship specialist for the Barnegat Bay Partnership, explains how homeowners can further help the bay by planting native plants, and reducing or eliminating the use of chemicals in yards. 
The Barnegat Bay Partnership is part of Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program. https://www.epa.gov/nep
To participate in the cleanup, visit https://barnegatbaypartnership.org/
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

"The Smart Goose" is one of producer Sandra Levine's favorite stories of all time. In 2010, a Canada goose that had been shot with a bow and arrow, miraculously chose to land in the yard of a veterinarian in Toms River, New Jersey,  who was willing to help. Dr. Bernard Levine is Sandra's father and together they worked to save the injured bird and capture the amazing story.
While many people do not care for Canada geese due to the birds' messy droppings, this story is about people coming together to show kindness and compassion to an animal that was needlessly suffering.
Sandra shot footage of the capture of the bird (that could still fly), the surgery conducted by Dr. Levine to remove the arrow, and some of the bird's rehabilitation at one of the country's premier avian centers, The Raptor Trust in Morris County, New Jersey. The goose made a full recovery and was released - back to the wild - after six weeks of care.
A reporter from the Associated Press was invited to the release, and the resulting story was carried by news outlets throughout the United States, and around the world - including in England, China, and India.
While Sandra's father has since passed away, this poignant tribute lives on and continues to bring her joy.
Contact Sandra Levine if you are interested in scheduling her inspiring speaking program on "The Smart Goose".
Sandra Levine Producations https://sandralevine.com/
The Raptor Trust https://www.theraptortrust.org/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

When a brain injury occurs, whether due to a fall, a car crash, a medical issue, or another reason, often life is dramatically changed for both the survivor and family members. The initial crisis can be terrifying; there are so many questions, and often too few answers, leading to overwhelm. Survivors may be unable to walk, think clearly, or live independently after an injury. With excellent medical care and rehabilitation, support, and time, improvements do occur. Still, family members often must suddenly learn to manage intensive caregiving responsibilities.
For 45 years, the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey has been providing help and hope to brain injury survivors and their families, as well as advocacy. In this episode, during Brain Injury Awareness Month, Wendy Berk, chief executive officer of the BIANJ, details many of the programs the nonprofit Alliance provides - including a helpline - free of charge. Berk also provides tips for all age groups on preventing brain injuries.
Passionate about and dedicated to her work, Berk has firsthand experience dealing with the heartache and loss caused by brain injury, as her husband had a brain tumor at age 31. "Still Time for Joy" host, Sandra Levine, has been sharing lessons learned since her husband nearly died from a rare neurological illness in 1999.
Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey https://www.bianj.org/
Helpline 732-783-6172
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

During winter months, numerous harbor seals can be seen resting or "hauling out" on the rocks in the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The American Littoral Society, a coastal advocacy nonprofit, hosts regular seal walks during which visitors learn about the seals' amazing comeback story.
Seals historically came here from Canada and New England, following their prey, but their numbers plummeted due to water pollution and overhunting. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and cleaning up the environment, have helped turn that around.
Samantha Hemming, education coordinator for the American Littoral Society, teaches visitors about the seals, the need to give them plenty of space - you must stay at least 150 feet away - and the importance of continuing to protect the environment we share with these marine mammals.
Special thanks to Caroline Fairhurst for the beautiful seal photos and video.
American Littoral Society  https://www.littoralsociety.org/
Sandy Hook Unit - Gateway National Recreation Area  https://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/sandy-hook.htm
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

March 14 is National Save a Spider Day, the perfect time to highlight the critical need to protect spiders, not fear them.
Dr. Paula E. Cushing, past president of both the American Arachnological Society and the International Society of Arachnology, has been joyfully studying spiders for decades. She says our fear of spiders is outsized: of the more than 53,000 species of spiders, approximately 100 species have venom that can badly hurt (or in rare cases, kill) humans. 
Still, arachnophobia is often cited as the top phobia in the world. Dr. Cushing says learning about spiders and being exposed to them often greatly reduces people's fears.
Spiders are an important part of the ecosystem. They devour insects, including mosquitoes, and they also are food for birds, reptiles, small mammals, and other species. Habitat loss and pesticide use are among factors causing reductions in spider populations.
Dr. Cushing is senior curator of invertebrate zoology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in Colorado.
Special thanks to the museum and Dr. Cushing for providing photographs for use in this episode.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science https://www.dmns.org/
American Arachnological Society https://www.americanarachnology.org/home/
International Society of Arachnology https://arachnology.org/home
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Learn all about composting - whether you want to use a worm bin inside, or a larger bin outdoors - from Master Composter Sandra Blain-Snow, with the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management. Composting not only creates a rich, natural fertilizer for your garden, it saves critically important space in the landfill. 
Blain-Snow talks about the best ingredients to add to your compost bin - fruit and vegetable scraps, newspaper, coffee grounds, leaves, and more - and what to leave out - including meat and dairy products. She also discusses the many joyful benefits of spending time in the garden.
The New Jersey Shore is known for its sandy soil, and adding compost greatly improves it. With support from the Board of Commissioners, the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management holds multiple composting workshops every year, where each participant receives a free composting bin. Also offered is a free, 15-hour Master Composter Training Program, that goes into greater detail about the process: https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/oc/solidwaste/frmMCP.aspx
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd