Tick Talk – Getting Outside with Kids in Tick Country

Do ticks live in forests or fields? Do they jump? Can all ticks cause Lyme disease? Learn about this and more at a tick talk with local tick expert, Lisa Werden. We’ve had A LOT of questions about ticks at our forest school drop-in sessions, so we’ve decided to bring you the information straight from the source! *Registration required (see below) This tick talk will focus on basic tick ecology and how to keep your family safe outside. It’ll include tips and tricks for doing tick checks with babies, toddlers and young children, and will arm you with the skills and knowledge to let you explore the outdoors with confidence during tick season! Please note that Lisa will only talk briefly about diagnosing and treating human Lyme disease, as she is not a human medical professional (see note below). We would love it if you would bring a small cash donation in support of Kingston Forest & Nature School. If carrying cash isn’t your thing, then head to bit.ly/kfnspaypal to make an online donation. Thank you! For $5/child, your children are welcome to access to play rooms at Shop & Play Cafe while you learn about ticks. Shop & Play Cafe has a maximum occupancy of 29 people. To ensure that you won’t be turned away at the door, please register by sending a quick email to kingstonforestandnatureschool@gmail.com letting us know how many adults & children will be attending with you. ABOUT LISA Lisa did her masters research on ticks in the 1000 Islands area and then started doing public presentations to health units, provincial parks, Parks Canada, etc. about ticks and Lyme disease. She is a mom of 2, an outdoor enthusiast and a Branch Ambassador with Hike it Baby Brockville. She and her husband, Scott, met in the area 9 years ago, both doing tick research. Scott is a local veterinarian and international tick expert. Scott sits on the board that writes the veterinary guidelines for prevention of parasitic diseases in pets for both Canada and the United States and regularly speaks across North America about keeping dogs and their families safe in tick areas. NOTE: Please note that Lisa and Scott are NOT human medical professionals and will refer you to your family doctor for any questions about human Lyme disease beyond the basic information available from local health units. They will share tips on how to keep your family safe and will also add information about tick ecology and identification and stories from their research experience. If Scott is present, he will be happy to share Thousand Islands Veterinary Services’ approach to preventing Lyme disease in dogs and answer veterinary questions about ticks and Lyme disease after the talk.