Extension News: Human health Archives

Watch it! Living With Lyme: NH's Exploding Epidemic
(July 11 WMUR Chronicle show in six segments; click on Chronicle in lower left sidebar to find remaining segments)

Blacklegged ticks (formerly called deer ticks) are active now throughout much of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire is home to 15 species of ticks, many of which can deliver a nasty infection, but infected blacklegged ticks can transmit Lyme Disease a potentially serious bacterial illness.

"The blacklegged tick itself becomes infected with Lyme Disease-causing bacteria by feeding on an infected 'reservoir host,' an organism that carries high levels of the bacteria in its bloodstream," says Eaton. "In New Hampshire, the primary reservoir host for Lyme Disease is the white-footed mouse."

"The state monitoring program in previous years has found that half the adult blacklegged ticks collected in Strafford, Rockingham and Hillsborough Counties, and 20 percent to 50 percent in Merrimack County carried the Lyme Disease bacterium," says Eaton.

Protect yourself

"Although the risk of acquiring Lyme Disease is greatest in June and early July, adult blacklegged ticks are active now in many parts of New Hampshire," says Eaton. To protect yourself and your family, Eaton and public health officials offer the following tips:

• Perform tick checks after being outdoors. Inspect all body surfaces carefully (including scalp, hair, around and inside the ears, and between the toes).Removing ticks early can reduce the risk of infection. Remove attached ticks with tweezers. Grasp the tick firmly and as close to the skin as possible. With a steady motion, pull the tick's body away from the skin. Avoid crushing the tick's body.
• Try to avoid walking through tall grass and brushy areas, prime habitats for ticks.
• If you do walk into tick territory, wear protective clothing. Long pants and long sleeves help keep ticks off skin. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirts into pants to keep ticks on the outside of clothing. Tape the area where pants and socks meet so ticks can't crawl under clothing.
• Light-colored clothing makes it easier to spot ticks.
• Use insect repellent on clothes and exposed skin. Always follow the label when applying a pesticide.
• Don't use DEET on babies younger than two months old, and use a preparation containing less than 30 percent DEET on young children.
• Pressurized spray products containing the insecticide permethrin sprayed on clothing will kill ticks that attach themselves to the clothing. Never apply permethrin-containing products directly to the skin. Spray them on clothing before you put it on.
• After being outdoors, wash and dry clothing at a high temperature to kill any ticks that may remain on clothing.
• Don't try to remove a tick using Vaseline, a hot match, nail polish, or other products.
• After removing the tick, clean the bitten area with an antiseptic.
• Monitor the site of any tick bite for signs of infection, and monitor your overall health closely after a tick bite, staying alert for signs and symptoms.
• To reduce ticks around the home where people spend time, keep grass short, remove leaf litter, and create a wood-chip or gravel barrier where the yard meets the woods.

Public awareness high, self-protection low

Key findings from a 2008 survey conducted by the UNH Survey Center show that state residents could do more to lower the incidence of Lyme Disease in New Hampshire:

• Most Granite Staters have heard of Lyme Disease and understand that it is transmitted by a tick bite.
• More than half the state's residents look for and remove ticks after they've been outdoors during tick season.
• Less than one in 10 residents use all three forms of tick protection: insect repellent, wearing long clothes, and performing a daily body check for ticks.

For more information

Insect Repellents includes information on several new active ingredients, including some that work on ticks.

Biology and Management of Ticks in New Hampshire Comprehensive fact sheet provides information on tick-borne diseases, tick species and their life cycles, and tick control measures.

NHDHHS Lyme Disease information
Lyme Disease fact sheet

The 2009 Lyme Disease report from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS) notes that cases of Lyme Disease in the Granite State declined somewhat last year. The highest rates of disease occurred in Rockingham, Hillsborough and Strafford Counties.

For specific concerns or questions about tick-borne diseases, call the NHDHHS, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control at 271-4496 or 800-852-3345 x4496 (N.H. only).

To have a tick identified

Residents who want to have a tick identified have two options:

UNH Arthropod ID Laboratory
Fee is $5. Follow directions on submission form for preparing specimen. Mail or walk-ins.

Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food No fee. Residents can also take advantage of this service by dropping off specimens at the NHDHHS Building at 29 Hazen Drive in Concord. Please read the submission form for proper preparation of specimen.

Note: Laboratories identify tick species, but don't test for the presence of disease-causing organisms.

Photo credit: Blacklegged tick, by Alan Eaton, UNH Cooperative Extension

For more than a century, New Hampshire 4-H Youth Development programs have recognized health as one of the four H's of the well-known 4-H clover leaf (joining head, heart, and hands).

With the epidemic of childhood obesity as a backdrop and $50,000 from the Wal-Mart Foundation for Healthy Living and the National 4-H Council, the New Hampshire 4-H program is boosting its statewide commitment to youth wellness with its new 4-H Healthy Living Challenge.

According to Extension 4-H specialist Paula Gregory, "The Healthy Living Challenge will link youth and their families, community wellness groups, 4-H volunteers and after-school staff, and land-grant university experts to mobilize young people and get them excited about healthy living. The program tackles nutrition, physical fitness and safety in three interrelated phases."

• Ready, set, go provides opportunities for youth to learn how to be healthy and fit, discover nutritious foods, and become engaged in physically active games.


• Keep going challenges young people to reach a daily goal of 5-2-1-0: five fruits and vegetables, spending no more than two hours watching TV or using electronic games, one hour or more of exercise, and eliminating sugary drinks and snacks.


• Go public involves young people spreading the word about healthy choices, becoming active locally to foster creative approaches to individual, family, and community wellness. Many 4-H youth will be showcasing their experiences through posters, speeches, demonstrations, and media productions.

"The project will create a statewide 4-H action plan for future healthy-living programs," says Wendy Brock, UNH Extension 4-H program leader. "We hope the plan and the activities that emerge from it will trigger the young people involved to create their own long-term action plans for health."

Project kicks off

The 4-H Healthy Living Challenge was launched in June during the annual four-day 4-H Teen Conference on the UNH campus." Two-thirds of conference workshops featured health and fitness topics. Teen participants received pedometers and a pledge card challenging them to eat nutritious meals, get lots of exercise, and make decisions that help them stay healthy," says Gregory.

"We used the same approach--workshops, pedometers and pledge cards--at the Northeast Regional SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) Forum and a 4-day career tour to New York City.

"During the Career Tour, 42 participating teens and chaperones collectively logged 1,037 miles as they walked city streets learning about careers in the fashion industry. Many 'trained' for the trip by increasing their daily walking during weeks preceding the tour," says Gregory.

More Healthy Living Challenge activities

• In Hillsborough, Grafton and Merrimack counties, gardening programs reached more than 250 children working alongside UNH Cooperative Extension volunteers. For example, at the Massabesic Audubon Center in Auburn, children from inner-city 4-H afterschool and summer programs participated in the 4-H Green Thumb Team initiative. Activities included planning, planting, tending and harvesting theme gardens and individual yardstick-size beds. The Green Thumb teams helped harvest their crops, bringing some to their own tables and donating the remaining 1700 pounds to the New Hampshire Food Bank.


• In August, military youth affected by family member's deployment participated in an Operation: Military Kids (OMK) You're the Chef camp, where they learned about many topics related to food and meal preparation, including nutrition, food purchasing, food safety, meal planning, and cooking techniques. During the weekend, campers prepared four different meals and also enjoyed recreational and social activities such as hiking, nature study, and team-building games.


• 4-H Microwave Magic and Up for the Challenge: Lifetime Fitness, Healthy Decisions are two wellness curricula being rolled out this spring in afterschool programs and 4-H clubs across the state in conjunction with our Nutrition Connections staff.

Learn more

Stayed tuned to our 4-H events calendar Find upcoming health-and-fitness based events.

If you work with youth and want to get involved in the Healthy Living Challenge, call the 4-H Youth Development educator in your county.

NH HEALthy Schools Initiative Learn more about this UNH Cooperative Extension initiative to improve New Hampshire schools' nutrition and fitness environments.

H1N1 vaccine now available for all



The N.H. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has expanded the state's H1N1 vaccination program to include all residents except infants younger than six months. No vaccine has been approved for young babies.

N.H. Public Health Director Dr. Jose Montero says the state has 400,000 doses of vaccine available and will work to establish a network of free public clinics throughout the next few weeks.

"Health care doesn't take a holiday," says Montero. "Everyone will continue working throughout the holiday season."

Although the incidence of H1N1 has declined across the state, "We encourage people to get vaccinated now while we have time, Montero says. "It's still early in the flu season. We can't predict when the next wave (of H1N1) might come, or what might happen when it does."

No one will be charged for an H1N1 flu vaccination, including people without health insurance and those whose insurance requires deductibles or co-pays.

Montero strongly encouraged people in high-risk groups who haven't yet received an H1N1 vaccination to to get one. Those groups include:


• Pregnant women
• People living with or caring for infants younger than 6 months old (including partners of pregnant women)
• Anyone between the ages of 6 months and 24 years of age
• Healthcare workers with direct patient contact
• People 25 - 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions

Many schools continue to schedule clinics. College students can get vaccinated at campus clinics. Pregnant women, young children, and people with underlying health conditions can get their H1N1 flu shots from their doctors, but health officials are asking adults to visit public clinics being organized in each of the state's around the state.

Find a clinic dispensing H1N1 vaccine near youWrite your town and state in the box at the bottom of the Flu Vaccine Locator for an up-to-date listing of free public clinics near you.

For more information about the public clinics, call the state's toll-free help line: 211.


Seasonal flu vaccine: supply may not stretch to cover everyone who wants it

Unlike distribution of the H1N1 vaccine, controlled by the CDC, hospitals, clinics and other providers order supplies of seasonal vaccine directly from the manufacturers. This year, demand has outpaced supply.

"Supplies of seasonal flu vaccine will keep arriving throughout November into December," Montero says. People seeking a seasonal flu shot should "try to connect with your private provider" or a local site (pharmacy, malls, visiting nurse associations) that typically offers seasonal vaccinations.

Consumers should check state's list of seasonal vaccine providers. The statewide 211 help line will also offer information on availability of either seasonal or H1N1 vaccine, though information about supplies of H1N1 vaccine will not be available until late November.

Ultimately though, Montero says, "there may not be enough seasonal vaccine for everyone who wants to be vaccinated."


Call 211 with questions

The statewide, toll-free 2-1-1 New Hampshire help line is open to direct callers all the health and human services available to them.


Learn more

N.H. Department of Health and Human Services H5N1 information Links to N.H.-specific and other information resources.

Know what to do about the fluOfficial federal government pandemic influenza Information.

Differences between seasonal flu and pandemic flu Learn the important differences between pandemic influenza and seasonal" flu .

Simple things you can do to protect yourself and your family Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's basic guidance on preventing both season and pandemic influenza.

Official guidance for individuals and families Information and planning checklists useful for pandemic planning from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Stockpiling essentials for a pandemic Planning for an extended stay at home, in case of essential-services disruptions, when store supplies might become short, or during periods of voluntary "social distancing" as a flu-prevention strategy.

What to do if you get flu symptoms Learn how to take care of yourself if you come down with the flu.

Special guidance for pregnant women Because pregnant women are more susceptible to regular flu than others, officials urge them to take special precautions to prevent contracting the new H1N1 flu. Experts don't know if pregnant women will have serious problems with H1N1 or how the new virus might affect the baby.

H1N1 guidance for specific groups CDC guidance for vulnerable or at-risk populations, teachers, caregivers, clinicians and others.

Talk to your children about the flu The barrage of media attention on the new H1N1 flu is bound to increase as flu season approaches. Children may receive misinformation, and peers can magnify their fears. They need special reassurance from adults.

Caring for a sick person in your home Familiarize yourself with this information before you need it.

Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy The Pandemic Influenza pages of this University of Minnesota center help you stay current on the latest science-based news and information about pandemic influenza.

Personal Pandemic Preparedness Resource List Excellent list of science-based sources of flu preparedness information.


Photo credit: alvi2047. Some rights reserved.


Posted October 27, 2009

Granite Staters face big and small emergencies of many kinds, from floods, blizzards, ice storms, tornadoes, lengthy power outages, and house fires, to public health emergencies such as Lyme Disease and pandemic influenza.

Preparation reduces fear, increases resiliency
Studies suggest that getting accurate, real-time information about the nature of a threat and making plans to deal with it reduces people's fear and increases their resiliency during and after an emergency.

Well-prepared individuals and families in turn lessen the burden on emergency responders, medical workers, utility crews, and many others whose work involves providing direct services in times of crisis.

New Web pages
Our new Web section, Preparing for Emergencies, offers New Hampshire residents information to help prepare and respond to a wide array of emergency situations.

We've drawn our online disaster-information resources from a variety of organizations, including federal and state agencies, the American Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). In the coming months, we'll expand and update it regularly. If you note gaps or outdated information in the resources we've listed, please let us know.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health threat in more than 50 southeastern and central New Hampshire communities because of the risk of the mosquito-borne illness Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).

The emergency declaration loosens mosquito-control permitting requirements and releases mosquito-control funds to towns at greatest risk for EEE.

A serious disease in humans
EEE, a mosquito-spread disease of birds, sometimes gets transmitted (via mosquito bite) to horses and people. Although horses can be vaccinated against the illness, there's no vaccine or treatment for EEE in humans, which proves fatal in about a third of human cases.

In 2005, seven New Hampshire residents came down with the illness, two of whom died.

Mosquitoes active until cold weather arrives: protect yourself and your family
Mosquitoes will remain active until hard frost hits the area, and officials warn residents to protect themselves against mosquito bites by using repellent sprays and wearing long pants and shirts with long sleeves.

Learn more:

Eastern Equine Encephalitis, 2009 This 14-page fact sheet presents New Hampshire-specific information about this virus and how to protect yourself.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Eastern Equine Encephalitis fact sheet

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Arboviral Illnesses fact sheet

We are stardust, we are golden
We are ten billion year old carbon
And we got to get ourselves back to the garden.

Woodstock, Joni Mitchell

Survey research from the National Gardening Association indicates an explosion of interest in home food gardening this year:

• 43 million American households will plant food gardens in 2009--seven million more than last year.
• 11 percent of veteran gardeners say they plan to expand the size of their gardens this summer and the variety of crops they grow.
• 5 million households will seek space in a community garden.

Here in New Hampshire

Hope Lennon, who places seed orders and arranges educational seminars for gardeners at Blue Seal Feeds & Needs in Bow, says, "Stuff is flying off the shelves; our vegetable seeds have already sold out."

"We've already sold 45 percent more vegetable seedlings than last year and had to place another order," says Lennon. "We've sold twice as many seed potatoes this year, and people are still coming for them from as far away from Maine. We've had an increase in sales of organic products, and we've noticed a big rise in interest in container gardening."

During other crisis points in our history, Americans turned to backyard and community gardening in a big way

In 1918, more than 5.2 million World-War-1 Liberty Gardens yielded 528.5 million pounds of produce.

• From 1933-1936, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) distributed more than three billion dollars to pay Depression Relief Gardeners for their food production.
• Victory Gardens of World War II produced more than 40 percent of the nation's fruits and vegetables.
• And during the Oil Embargo of the mid-1970s, more than half of American households tended vegetable gardens.

They think it tastes better (58 percent)! Saving money (54 percent), enjoying better-quality produce (51 percent) and having safe food (48 percent) fall close behind. Forty percent of food gardeners say they garden to "feel more productive."

Beyond a patch of good dirt (or a few containers of potting soil), hand tools, and seeds, home food producers don't need much by way of fancy equipment to raise fruits and vegetables. A plot managed with intensive techniques can easily yield 10 times the produce of a more conventional garden.

Visit our new Home & Community Food Gardening Web pages

They'll help you learn everything you need to know for success, from site selection and preparation to conditioning the soil, planting, finding space and time, caring for growing crops, managing problems, gardening with children, organizing or locating a community garden in New Hampshire.

We think of this site as a scaffold onto which we'll keep building. So, bookmark this section of our site for frequent reference. And help us keep building it by offering your suggestions for online information resources we haven't provided here.

Walk, bike, or carpool: Take the challenge!

Building on the success of past bike-or-walk-to-work days, the New Hampshire Bike-Walk Alliance has expanded the annual event to an entire week this year, from May 11 through May 15.

The project challenges Granite Staters to use human power to get around as much as possible during the week.

In keeping with the "green" theme, organizers note that transportation is responsible for an estimated 40 percent of New England's carbon dioxide emissions, and encourage folks who can't walk or bike to carpool or take public transportation.

Check out the local events

Communities around the state have planned celebratory events, which range from meet-and-greet breakfasts to free fares on public transportation.

All participants can also qualify for raffle prizes, including the grand giveaway of a one-night stay and breakfast for two at the Mount Washington Hotel. To qualify, you must fill in the online form.

Learn more

NH Bike maps Getting from here to there by bike.

Commuting by bicycle Lots of links to online information for cyclists and bike commuters.

Need a reason to buy a bike? Fitness, weight maintenance, energy savings, experiences in the natural world; plus tips for bike commuters.

Can't shower at work? Hygiene tips for self-powered commuters.

Program for Alternative Transportation and Health (PATH) Learn more about this Concord-area program promoting human power, carpooling and public transportation to save energy, protect the environment, and improve health.

Get them talking, offer reassurance

With a constant barrage of media attention currently being focused on the new flu outbreak, children may become frightened or extremely worried about catching the virus.

When children talk to one another, they may receive misinformation, and peers can magnify their fears. Without a bit of guidance from adults, it's easy for kids to feel panicked.

While it's too early to know how serious this outbreak could become or how long it might last, it is important to help the kids in your life keep it in perspective and to keep yourself both calm and informed.

Open a conversation

The first and most important step is to start a conversation with your child by asking if he or she has heard about illness, and how they are feeling about it.

When talking with younger children, help them separate fantasy from reality. Hearing that this is a disease called "swine" flu can easily charge their imaginations. Let them know that although it is called "swine flu," it's a people illness--a new form of the flu.

Reassure your child

Be as specific as need be, reassuring them that people can't get the illness from eating pork, and that the disease doesn't really have much to do with pigs.

Tell them that if they do get sick with this flu, they can get medicine to help them get better and people will take care of them until they do.

Talk about prevention

Let them know that flu can be spread by sick people who cough or sneeze. Teach them what they can do to help them keep from getting sick: washing their hands often and thoroughly, covering their coughs or sneezes (into a tissue or into their sleeve) washing their hands well, and letting adults know if they aren't feeling good.

In addition, this is a good time to talk to your child about the importance of getting plenty of rest, lots of exercise, eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water.

Put things in perspective

It's also important to help older children keep the disease in perspective. Although some small outbreaks have been reported in schools, most of the cases associated with those outbreaks to date have been mild.

In addition, most of the schools and child care centers that have been closed around the country have been closed as precautionary measures, based on a single or few cases and not because of widespread outbreaks. Almost all of the people who have contracted the disease have recovered.

Signs of illness

Signs of the disease to watch for in children include: fever, sore throat, body and head aches, persistent cough, chills and fatigue. Remember, if your child has any symptoms of influenza, keep her/him home from child care or school, and call a health-care professional.

Meanwhile, talk to your child's school or child-care personnel about their plans for dealing with an outbreak in or near their community.

During this outbreak, it's important to keep yourself informed, but also to limit the amount of time the TV and radio are on in your house while children are tuning in.

For the best and most up-to-date information, check in periodically with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Extension Disaster Education Network's Swine Flu page.

by Dr. Malcolm Smith, Family Education and Family Policy Specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension. He can be reached by email at: Malcolm.smith@unh.edu

Against a backdrop of recent news reports citing an increase in child abuse, more than 200 pediatric nurses, family-support professionals, child care providers, social workers and home visitors attended two Oh Baby! trainings held in Manchester and Portsmouth in the past month. A third training, scheduled for May 21 at Plymouth State University, is filling fast.

Designed by UNH Cooperative Extension Parenting and Child Development team members, the program helps participants use Extension's popular child-development newsletters, Cradle Crier and Toddler Tales, as part of an ongoing effort to educate New Hampshire parents and reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect in New Hampshire.

The programs featured Dr. John Hornstein, a former UNH professor and a consultant to Harvard Medical School, who presented, "Culture, the Brain, and the Wisdom of the Young." Hornstein gave participants an update on current brain research with infants and toddlers and new methodology for educating young parents. Other highlights included presentations by Sarah Leonard, infant and toddler teacher at UNH's Child Study and Development Center, and Extension Specialist Dr. Malcolm Smith.

The Manchester training was co-sponsored by Early Learning New Hampshire and hosted by the Family Education Collaborative at the Manchester YWCA. The Portsmouth Community Campus hosted the Portsmouth event, which was co-sponsored by Families First, a parent resource and education center.

Learn more about the Oh Baby! programs and register for the Plymouth State training.

Explore UNH Cooperative Extension's Families & Parenting pages

As voters prepare to discuss town budget articles, UNH Cooperative Extension entomologist Dr. Alan Eaton has posted an updated 15-page paper on mosquito-borne diseases in New Hampshire, and the various options to manage the problem.

If your town is considering spending money on mosquito management, you'll find this publication especially helpful.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)
EEE is the most common and severe of these diseases. In 2005, New Hampshire had the highest number of human EEE cases in the nation, prompting much attention to ways of reducing the risk.

Many towns and cities started discussing mosquito monitoring or spraying programs, particularly in Rockingham County, the part of the state with the highest risk for EEE. There are many ways to reduce EEE risk, including new insect-repellents options for individuals.

Personal protection: new publication on insect repellents
Eaton has also posted a companion publication titled Insect Repellents, which covers the DEET-based repellents on which we have relied for many years, as well as Picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus and other active ingredients.

Thinking of installing a woodstove to beat the high cost of other fuels? Wondering if you can crank up a once-in-a-while woodstove to serve as your home's primary heating source?

If so, you'll want to check out our new Heating With Wood Web pages.

If you're just starting to investigate wood heat, you'll find there's a lot to learn. Even if you've burned wood for years, you'll want to keep up with changes in wood heating technology and firewood markets.

Heating with Wood offers information on these and other topics:

• Assessing your home for wood heat.
• Cutting your own firewood.
• Buying and storing firewood.
• Sizing, locating, installing and maintaining your wood stove.
• Burning wood safely and efficiently.
• The health effects of woodsmoke.
• Outdoor wood boilers.
• Managing the ashes.

We've noticed more lawns and backyards sprouting tomatoes, beans and zucchini this year.

Even small gardens can produce an overabundance of vegetables at the peak of their harvest season. Preserving the overflow can help you store high-quality food for later use.

Canning, freezing, drying, and common storage are the four main methods of preserving homegrown food. The method(s) you choose will depend on whether you can find safe preservation guidelines for the foods you want to preserve, whether you have the equipment and space needed to process and store your garden crops, how much it will cost, and whether you and your family like the preserved products.

If you have questions about preserving food safely, call our toll-free Into Line (1-877-398-4769), or check the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

If you plan to can any vegetable but tomatoes, pressure canning is the only safe method.

Pressure canners that have a dial gauge should be checked for accuracy yearly, and most have a rubber gasket that needs periodic replacement. You can have your dial gauge checked at the Family, Home & Garden Education Center in Manchester or at most county Extension offices.

Beginner basics and more

Who needs to understand the basics of geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) and how to use them?

"Everyone," says Shane Bradt, Cooperative Extension's geospatial specialist and head of the Durham-based Geospatial Technologies Training Center. "Everyone should have basic skills and understanding of geospatial technologies, because these technologies influence the way that people look at the world today and make decisions about it."

"Geospatial technologies include software and hardware that receive, integrate, store, edit, analyze, share, and display spatial/geographic information," says Bradt.

"Most data have locations. A GIS can contain all kinds of data that relate to a location, providing you with a context for asking questions about your environment and how things in the natural environment and society are changing around you. Geospatial technologies are used extensively in forestry, agriculture, marine science, criminal justice, public health, marketing, transportation planning, site design, pandemic planning, disease tracking, disaster management, conservation planning, even cultural anthropology--scientists recently used geospatial tools to study the topography of fossil teeth of early humans to determine their diet.

Follow these links to learn more and to register for our July workshops:

The GPS & You series allows people to acquire GPS skills without taking up an entire day and to choose topics based on their own interests. Workshops cover using GPS to navigate, using GPS to map features in your community, and using GPS to make interactive maps that display digital pictures. You don't need your own equipment to participate, although you may use your own.

GPS & You I: GPS Basics July 1 - 5:30pm-8:30pm

GPS & You II: Pictures, Points & Places - July 10 - 5:30pm-8:30pm

GPS & You III: Tracks & Routes - July 23 - 5:30pm-8:30pm

Community Mapping July 7-11 & 14-18 - 8am-4pm A 10-day course designed for educators and others interested in exploring natural and societal resources using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology.

GIS on Pennies a Day - July 23 - 9am-4pm Learn GIS basics and explore a variety of GIS programs you can get for little or no cost (for PCs and Macs).

Introduction to ArcGIS 9.2 July 28-30 - 9am-4pm Learn the basics of working with ArcGIS 9.2 in a hands-on learning environment; 3-day course useful for people who have no prior GIS experience, as well as those who have used ArcView 3.x, but are new to ArcGIS 9.2.

Photo credits: Shane Bradt
Top photo: With GPS, you can find your way in the world and collect information about your community.
Lower photo: GIS allows you to bring to together photos, maps and GPS data to create custom views of any place in the world.

Walk or Bike to Work

Want to get fit, lose weight, build muscle, lower your stress levels, save gas, and reduce air pollution?

Consider biking or walking all or part of the distance to work.

Many more of us could commute with our own two legs than do. You probably have a few good excuses for not powering yourself to work:

I live too far from work. It'll take too much time. I don't have a safe route to travel. I don't have a place to shower at work. I don't have a safe place to stash my bike. I don't want to appear weird. I'm too out of shape to go that far.

Many self-powering commuters have found creative ways to solve these and other problems.

One of the sites below may offer for a solution to yours. Although they speak specifically to bicycle commuters, many excuses and answers apply to walkers as well:

Save Time Commuting by Bicycle
The top 10 excuses for not commuting by bike
Another top 10 excuses
Overcoming bike commuting excuses
More overcoming
No more excuses

Check out The True Cost of Driving to calculate the dollar, pollution and social cost savings of commuting with your own two legs.

For a lot more information about commuting by bike, check out this new section of Lighten Up NH!

Listen to NPR reporter Alex Chadwick commute to work by bike.

A new report from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS) notes that cases of Lyme Disease in the Granite State rose 43 percent last year, from 619 in 2006 to 892 in 2007.

The highest rates of disease occurred in Rockingham, Strafford, Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Carroll Counties.

The culprit: blacklegged tick
"The state monitoring program found that half the adult blacklegged ticks collected in Strafford, Rockingham and Hillsborough Counties, and 20 percent to 50 percent in Merrimack County carried the Lyme disease bacterium," says UNH Cooperative Extension entomologist Alan Eaton.

Eaton adds, "New Hampshire is home to 15 species of ticks, but the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis, also called the "deer tick") is the one that transmits Lyme disease."

"The blacklegged tick itself becomes infected with Lyme disease-causing bacteria by feeding on an infected 'reservoir host,' an organism that carries high levels of the bacteria in its bloodstream," says Eaton. "In New Hampshire, the primary reservoir host for Lyme disease is the white-footed mouse."

Protect yourself
"Although the risk of acquiring Lyme disease is greatest in June and July, adult blacklegged ticks are becoming active now in southeastern New Hampshire," says Eaton. To protect yourself and your family, Eaton and public health officials recommend:

• When possible, avoid walking through tall grass and brushy areas, prime habitats for ticks.
• If you do walk into tick territory, wear protective clothing. Long pants and long sleeves help keep ticks off skin. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirts into pants to keep ticks on the outside of clothing. Tape the area where pants and socks meet so ticks can't crawl under clothing.
• Light-colored clothing will make it easier to spot ticks.
• Use insect repellent containing 20 percent to 50 percent DEET on clothes and exposed skin.
• Don't use DEET on babies younger than two months old, and use a preparation containing less than 30 percent DEET on young children.
• Pressurized spray products containing the insecticide permethrin sprayed on clothing will kill ticks that attach themselves to the clothing. Never apply permethrin-containing products directly to the skin. Spray them on clothing before you put it on. Always follow the label when applying a pesticide.
• After being outdoors, wash and dry clothing at a high temperature to kill any ticks that may remain on clothing.
• Perform tick checks after being outdoors. Removing ticks early can reduce the risk of infection. Inspect all body surfaces carefully (including scalp, hair, and between the toes) and remove attached ticks with tweezers. Grasp the tick firmly and as close to the skin as possible. With a steady motion, pull the tick's body away from the skin. Avoid crushing the tick's body.
• Don't try to remove a tick using Vaseline, a hot match, nail polish, or other products.
  
• After removing the tick, clean the bitten area with an antiseptic.
• Monitor the site of any tick bite for signs of infection, and monitor your overall health closely after a tick bite, staying alert for signs and symptoms.
• To reduce ticks around the home where people spend time, keep grass short, remove leaf litter, and create a wood-chip or gravel barrier where the yard meets the woods,

To have a tick identified
Residents who want to have a tick identified have two options:

UNH Arthropod ID Laboratory
Fee is $5. Follow directions on submission form for preparing specimen. Mail or walk-ins.

Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food No fee. Residents can also take advantage of this service by dropping off specimens at the Health and Human Services Building at 29 Hazen Drive in Concord. Please read submission form for proper preparation of specimen.

Note: Laboratories identify tick species, but don't test for presence of disease-causing organisms.

More information

NHDHHS general Lyme disease information
Lyme disease fact sheet
New Hampshire Tick-Borne Disease Bulletin: 2007 Update
Biology and Control of Ticks in New Hampshire

Photo credit: Alan Eaton, UNH Cooperative Extension