Still Time for Joy

There are so many benefits to native plant gardening for the environment, wildlife, and people.  Lisa Mazzuca is an Ocean County Master Naturalist at the New Jersey Shore, who has created a food forest by knowing which plants to choose, and how to care for them.

The magic starts with the soil, which in New Jersey’s coastal plain, is famously sandy. Mazzuca explains how to improve the soil, and lists numerous plants and trees that thrive in this environment.
 
She grows beach plums, blueberries, and large pawpaws, as well as milkweed plants and other flowers to attract pollinators. Mazzuca talks about gardening on her YouTube Channel, @MyNJGarden. She also is the owner of On Your Mark Designs that creates websites for businesses; spending time in her beautiful garden provides balance.
https://oymdesigns.com/
https://sandralevine.com/

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

The 33rd Annual River to Bay 5K Classic was held in Island Heights, NJ, on May 3, 2025, a fundraiser run by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Toms River. The popular event was started by a beloved local dentist and past president of Kiwanis, the late Dr. Ed McComsey. Over the years the event has raised well over $500,000 for various children's charities at the New Jersey Shore.

Members of Kiwanis say they enjoy the camaraderie of the group, and the joyful feelings that come from volunteering and giving back to the community.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Toms River https://tomsriverkiwanis.org/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

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

     For years, Loree Mahalchick has been providing therapeutic horseback riding, especially to children with special needs. She and her husband, Tom, run the nonprofit Horse Sense Therapeutic Center in Howell, New Jersey.

     The couple's only son, Tommy, an avid ice hockey player, was prescribed oxycontin for several injuries, which eventually led to a heroin addiction. 
Last June, while trying to protect a neighbor from an intruder, Tommy was murdered in his apartment building in New York City.

     The Mahalchicks held an open house to announce the expansion of their program, in Tommy's honor, to include family members struggling with stress and grief caused by a loved one's addiction issues.

Horse Sense Therapeutic Center https://www.horsesensenj.com/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

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

Often, when people move, they don't know what to do with the food in their pantries, and they simply throw it in the trash. Adam Lowy, whose great-grandfather started the family moving business more than 100 years ago, began offering in 2009 to take customers' unwanted, nonperishable food to the local food bank. He then founded the nonprofit Move for Hunger, based in Neptune, NJ, which has since grown to include a network of more than 1,200 moving companies in the United States and Canada.

The federal government estimates between 30-40% of the food supply in the United States is wasted every year, while tens of millions of people go hungry. Move for Hunger's website, https://moveforhunger.org, lists many ideas for people who want to help, including making monetary donations and organizing a food drive. 

Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

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

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia can be a very rewarding experience, but also can leave caregivers feeling frustrated, due to challenging behaviors that are often part of the journey. Watch this episode for some simple tips on dealing with repetitive questions, anxiety, and even hallucinations. 

Deb Hallisey, who is the founder of Advocate for Mom and Dad, a caregiver advocate, and a certified dementia practitioner, offers concrete strategies to help with some common issues. Always consult with a doctor for advice about your specific situation.

Advocate for Mom and Dad https://advocateformomanddad.com/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

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

In early spring, ospreys return to the New Jersey Shore and other coastal areas after spending winters in places as far away as South America. There were only about 50 breeding pairs of ospreys here in the 1970s, after widespread use of the pesticide DDT and development caused their numbers to plummet. After DDT use was banned, biologists, environmentalists, and volunteers--led by legendary naturalist Pete McLain--installed nesting platforms and took other measures to help the ospreys make a remarkable comeback. Today, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ says there are about 800 breeding pairs in the state.

Nikki Vernachio, chief park naturalist at Cattus Island County Park in Toms River, NJ, talks about looking forward to the return of the majestic ospreys every year. She says the park offers walking tours during which visitors can learn about these beautiful raptors, as well as educational displays in the Cooper Environmental Center.  There are also numerous nesting platforms throughout the 530-acre park where osprey pairs return year after year to raise their young.

Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation https://www.oceancountyparks.org/
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ https://conservewildlifenj.org/
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

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

The underwater world of SCUBA diving can be incredibly peaceful and beautiful, the perfect environment for combat war veterans to decompress and quiet their minds after serving in the military. Some veterans return home suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and statistics show about 17 veterans in the United States die by suicide every day.

Wanting to do her part to help lessen the suffering, Sharon Patterson co-founded Warhorse SCUBA in New Jersey in 2016. Veterans first try one dive in a pool, and if they decide to pursue certification, the nonprofit Warhorse SCUBA takes care of the cost of their training.

Once certified, the veterans dive in NJ, and travel to locations around the world to experience the bliss of SCUBA diving, and to enjoy camaraderie with others who have served.

Warhorse SCUBA https://warhorsescuba.com/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

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

The arrival of spring means the greenhouses at Lanza's Flower Farm in Wall Township, New Jersey, are bursting with young plants—pansies, petunias, begonias, and more. Chris Difeo spent much of his life working in the family car dealership business before buying a nursery in 2020 and converting it into a flower farm.

Difeo feels great satisfaction from raising flowers and beekeeping, and his customers find great joy in visiting the farm, located in the middle of the most densely populated state in the nation. New Jersey, known as the Garden State, has lost much of its farmland over the years to development.

Lanza's Flower Farm  https://www.lanzasnursery.com/
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

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

In June 2024, Toms River Township's 10-year-old animal shelter was abruptly shut down, leaving animal advocates scrambling for solutions. Now, a shared services agreement is in place, which calls for Ocean County to run Toms River's shelter after renovations are completed.

Some residents have rallied and thousands signed a petition, angry that the relatively new shelter was shuttered. They also are unhappy that animal control services have been privatized, after all four township ACOs were let go.

Toms River's situation is not unique; a hodgepodge of municipal and county agencies, and volunteer rescue groups struggle to find homes for unwanted pets all over the country, often at odds over how best to do so.

There's general agreement about the need to spay and neuter companion animals, and that adopting from shelters and rescue groups saves lives.

While the Toms River facility is closed, residents looking for lost pets are advised to contact the Ocean County Animal Shelter in Jackson Township.
https://oceancountyhealth.gov/services/animal-shelters-adoptions-and-pets/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

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

Best Friends Animal Society is holding "Bring No-Kill Home Summits" around the country as it strives to reach an ambitious goal: end the killing of adoptable shelter animals in 2025.

For decades, millions of healthy, adoptable animals were euthanized in shelters every year when the facilities ran out of space. Best Friends made a commitment in 2016 (when their statistics showed about two million deaths) to work towards ending that practice by 2025. At the summits, members of the animal welfare community learn innovative techniques to help them save more lives.

Marc Peralta, chief program officer at Best Friends, talks about the heavy toll killing shelter animals takes on the people who joined the field looking to help. He says it is inspiring and fulfilling to work in a lifesaving movement as it moves closer to its goal.

Best Friends started as a sanctuary for unwanted animals in Utah in 1984.
For more than 15 years, "Still Time for Joy" host Sandra Levine produced popular television programs about animal welfare and adoption—including “Homeless Tails”— for NJN, formerly New Jersey's PBS station.

Best Friends Animal Society  https://bestfriends.org/
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

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