FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- The Magrath Gym at Fort Drum was the scene for the 13th Annual Safety Day exhibition. The event, put on by the Fort Drum Command Safety Office, is intended to promote safety awareness and provide information on wellness and health.

State Police operated two exhibits that promote the use of seatbelts, called the Convincer. One allows people to feel the effect of a five mile an hour crash and another car demonstrates the advantage of seatbelts in a roll-over accident.

One exhibit showed soldiers examples of the illegal trade in endangered species products and parts as gathered by the New York State DEC from the Port of New York. Because of their world travels, soldiers can actually make a difference in helping to stem this troubling exchange in increasingly rare creatures of the wild.

"The Wildlife Conservation Society, whom I work for, has a big conservation program in Afghanistan working with the government there and working with the wildlife authorities and we've also been developing some real good dialogues with the U.S. military there and how we can try and work together to protect both Afghanistan's wildlife and other country's wildlife which is being sold in Afghanistan," said Dr. Elizabeth Bennett, Wildlife Trade Program Director.

Booths also offered advice, information and even displayed examples of local wildlife as people were able to handle small grass snakes. Soldiers were also asked to fill out a short survey on their experiences with wildlife and wildlife products.