​Today, July 3rd marks International Plastic Free Day. This awareness event day was created to raise awareness about the effects of single use plastics on our environment and help educate people on the friendlier alternatives to plastic.
 
It is the 10th annual International Plastic Free Day and is supported by a coalition of NGOs seeking a better plastic free tomorrow.
 
The website for the movement has a facts section that states plastic bags are used on average for 25 minutes but takes 100-500 years in a landfill to disintegrate. They recommend forgoing plastic single use straws in favor for reusable ones, bringing your own travel coffee cup to your favorite café and not buying plastic water bottles but coming prepared with a reusable one.
 
Many small lifestyle changes will make a lot of impact if we work together and hold our peers accountable. Learn how to make a plastic free impact and follow the movement on Twitter and Facebook for more information!

Happy 152nd birthday Canada! Today, July 1st celebrates Canada Day, the national holiday of the country.
 
This federal statutory holiday is special because it means a large portion of the population gets the day off and other businesses in addition to government offices, libraries and schools are closed.
 
There are fireworks and parades and the likes of other celebrations, concerts, festivals to honor the special day.
 
July 1st commemorates the anniversary of the formation of the union of British North America under the name Canada. In other words, it is significant because it is the biggest national party for the country and includes plenty of fireworks displays.
 
Although it might sound similar to the United States’ Fourth of July, it is a Canadian national holiday and celebrated as such.

​For those who need a little refresher, an eclipse is when the moon travels in front of and covers the sun for a period of time. The last “Great American Eclipse” was on August 21, 2017, and on July 2nd, 2019 there is going to be a total solar eclipse seen in parts of South America.
 
The “path of totality” or visibility will be seen from a section 80-125 miles wide from the South Pacific to Chile and Argentina. For those who aren’t going to be in the path of totality, you can watch the live feed here brought to you by the San Francisco’s Exploratorium Museum.
 
And for more information on solar eclipses and the timing of tomorrow’s the total solar eclipse check here.
 
Be sure not to miss it as the next total solar eclipse will not happen until December 14, 2020. 

​Due to recent health and safety reports focusing on the Dominican Republic, many summer vacationers are opting to forgo visiting or entirely change their plans.
 
In addition to the heightened attention the country has been receiving recently, the US federal government has placed a level 2 travel advisory recommending those visiting “exercise increased caution.”

We recommend enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Plan (STEP) alert and emergency information program for anyone traveling abroad.
 
These abrupt changes have caused a drop of 74% in the tourism industry, one of the main industries of which the Dominican Republic heavily depends on.
 
Additionally, some airlines like Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are waiving the change fee or allowing customers to receive credit for a future flight instead.

It is unclear how this trend will impact the Dominican Republic in the long run or how long it will take until Americans feel safe visiting  again.