Happy Friday y’all! Let’s head into the weekend the right way with a little good news.
NC ASPCA Award Recipients
Two North Carolinians accepted awards on Thursday at the 2023 ASPCA Humane Awards ceremony in New York.
Caitlyn Gooch, founder of Saddle Up and Read, received this year’s Equine Welfare Award. She was recognized for her work efforts to promote youth literacy in North Carolina while fostering the bonds between horses and people.
Dr. Terry Morris received the Henry Bergh Award for the impact her non-profit, Vets to Vets, has on the rescue dogs and veterans in the Triangle. Founded in 2012, the organization pairs rescue dogs with veterans experiencing loneliness, PTSD, depression, physical disabilities, or traumatic brain injury. They also partner with the community to help the veterans train their dogs for their specific needs and ensure they can receive free or low-cost veterinary care.
Native Plant Awareness Week
Next week is North Carolina’s seventh Native Plants Week and there have been exciting developments for the native plants in our state this year! In July, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources created a new policy requiring the use of native plants at state parks, roadways, and historic sites. Native plants support pollinators and ecosystem health, reduce greenhouse gasses, and are more likely to survive in harsh weather conditions.
‘Ring of Fire’ Eclipse This Saturday
This Saturday, you’ll be able to see a solar eclipse from noon to 3 p.m. in North Carolina. It’s an annular solar eclipse, meaning the moon will pass in front of the sun and create a halo effect visible to the human eye (with safe solar viewing glasses). The Morehead Planetarium at Chapel Hill invites you to view the eclipse with them from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you can’t step outside, NASA will also have a live feed you can tune into.
Ziggy’s Super Brain
Ziggy Williams from Farmville, North Carolina, is 13 years old and the newly published author of “Ziggy’s Super Brain.” Williams was diagnosed with autism early in his life, and this autobiography gives readers an insight into the “world of Autism.” His mother, Ashanti Williams, is also the founder of “An Autastic Dream,” a non-profit raising funds to open a sensory center for people with autism in eastern NC.
