kid-approved

Cherished Houston Arboretum blooms with fun new playscape for kids

Kids can climb aboard these fun new amenities.

Photo by Anthony Rathbun

The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center has aggressively created attractions for locals looking for a green escape during the pandemic — note the adorable goat “lawn mowers” the center has employed.

Now, one of the Bayou City’s most cherished nature sites is inviting young visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the natural fun,

A new and much-anticipated Nature Playscape invites kids and adolescents to explore features such as a lumber yard with real fallen logs from the grounds and the grass climb, which allows park goers to step into the shoes of prairie insects.

This new amenity completes the arboretum’s ambitious Master Plan, which focused on three key areas: land management and restoration, educational programming, and trail experiences, per a press release.

Visitors to the arboretum can also look forward these new additions:

Stump Scramble
Grass Climb
Toddler Territory with Flower Fun and Sand Box
Balancing Bridge
Lumber Yard
Spider Web
Waterways and Water Garden
Wetland Walk
Shady Grove

While the new playscape is fenced, parental supervision is required at all times and guests are asked not to bring pets. The Playscape is nestled into the arboretum’s trail system, meaning visitors may also view wildlife such as birds, bees, lizards, and even snakes while on the play features.

Hours for the new playscape run from 7 am to dusk. The playscape is available for party and event rentals and will be closed regularly for rentals on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

“We are thrilled about the debut of our magnificent Nature Playscape,” says Debbie Markey, Houston Arboretum’s executive director, in a statement. “After some ‘beta testing’ with children of various ages, we think this new amenity, designed with safety in mind, will be a huge hit with the young and young at heart. People who come for the Playscape will also be exposed to the Arboretum’s other wonderful offerings such as the restored trail system, interpretive Field Stations, flora and fauna, and our newly revamped Discovery Room in the remodeled Nature Center.”

nature kids parks

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”