Newport News Now
“TreeHouses: Look Who’s Living in the Trees”
Indoor Changing Exhibit at VLM
The TreeHouses exhibit includes fun, hands-on ways to explore the important roles that trees play in providing homes for all sorts of wild things. Incorporating all of the senses, this popular exhibit engages forest explorers of all ages in indoor nature exploration and the ecology of sustainable harvesting of these important natural resources. The indoor exhibit will run at the Virginia Living Museum (VLM), 524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News, Jan. 27 through May 5.
Become an environmental steward by hanging out in trees at the museum and learn about the secret lives of those who live among the trees. Families can explore and even design and build their own treehouse, stomp on the forest dance floor to listen and discover the sounds of the forest, and much more. A camping scenario and play area will inspire kids to actively participate in outdoor activities while instilling a sense of respect for the forest community.
Every Saturday and Sunday, guests have the opportunity to explore the hidden wonders in the trees with educational public programs. Join the Museum’s Animal Ambassadors at 11:30 a.m. for a meet-and-greet, where live creatures showcase their unique interactions with trees and reveal fascinating adaptations and behaviors. At 1 p.m., the “Camouflage Chronicles” Science Pop-up unravels the secrets of native animals and their skillful use of trees for camouflage.
Annual Child Safety Seat Round-Up
For over 35 years, Drive Safe Hampton Roads (DSHR) has joined forces with community partners to collect old, used, and potentially unsafe child safety seats during the Child Safety Seat Round-Up program. This program also serves to educate parents and caregivers about the possible dangers of using car seats past the date recommended by the manufacturer, using secondhand seats, and seats with missing parts or no traceable recall information. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, 863 children (aged 0-14) were killed in vehicle crashes in 2021 with 308 of them unrestrained.
For these reasons, DSHR and its community partners: Walmart, AAA Tidewater Virginia, Hoffman Beverage Co., Waste Management of Virginia, and the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters encourage everyone to “round-up” their old child safety seats and turn them in for a “reward” throughout the month of February. The goal for the Round-Up is to convince parents and caregivers to turn in old, used, or potentially dangerous safety seats so they are not resold or given to unsuspecting parents or caregivers.
As an incentive, Walmart is providing a $5 Walmart gift card for each seat turned in (limit 2 rewards per person). In Newport News, safety seats can be dropped off at AAA Tidewater Virginia located at 733 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., during the month of February.
All collected safety seats will be recycled by Waste Management of Virginia, Inc. Not only will recycling these seats eliminate the potential danger to children, but it will also provide positive benefits to the community by utilizing a “greener” alternative for disposal.
Virginia law requires all children under the age of 8 to be properly restrained in an approved Department of Transportation (DOT) child restraint. This law applies to any driver, not just the parent or guardian, in any vehicle, on any highway in Virginia. In addition, all children ages 8 through 17 years of age must be properly restrained in a safety belt while seated in any seating position in a vehicle.