Washington, DC, September 14, 2009
Oceanographer Sylvia Earle to Participate in the Annual Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 4
Back to Press Releases »WASHINGTON, D.C. — Renowned oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle will participate in this year’s Annual Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday afternoon, October 4. The service celebrates the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment.
A brief prayer service, followed by individual blessings for the public’s companion animals (and aquatic life!), begins at 2:30 in the courtyard located at the steps of Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin Avenue side.
Adoptable animals from Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) and Washington Humane Society (WHS) will also be in attendance and ready to greet the public before the service, beginning at 1:30.
The public and their companion animals are welcome.
Sylvia Earle has pioneered research on marine ecosystems, led more than 70 expeditions, and holds numerous diving records. She was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and has played a key role in establishing marine protected areas globally. Earle also is the author of Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas (2008), and The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One. Named by Time magazine as the first “hero for the planet” in 1998, she has received more than 100 national and international awards and honors including the coveted 2009 TED Prize. On the morning of October 4, she will participate in a public forum at the Cathedral.
WARL is a humane shelter that rescues cats and dogs from overburdened shelters and offers reduced cost veterinary care to low income District residents. Humane education programs are also given by WARL staff throughout city public schools.
WHS currently operates two shelters in the District of Columbia. WHS provides comfort and care to more than 20,000 animals each year through its broad range of programs and services including: sheltering, adoption, humane law enforcement, spay and neuter, humane education, human – animal programs, and lost and found services.
SOURCE: Washington National Cathedral