Caring Causes: TurfMutt Foundation

The TurfMutt Foundation has a new spokesdog. Mulligan, a mixed breed rescue puppy, will fill the cape left behind by Lucky the TurfMutt, who recently passed away at the TurfMutt Foundation offices after serving as the organization’s superhero voice for a decade. The TurfMutt Foundation promotes environmental stewardship and its program has inspired millions of kids, families and teachers to become backyard superheroes by creating and sustaining suburban and urban habitat, parks, sports fields, and other green spaces.

Mulligan, who was abandoned along with her siblings, was rescued by the Kentucky Humane Society and adopted by TurfMutt Foundation president, Kris Kiser, in Louisville, Ky. last month during Lucky’s Mutt Madness, a national dog adoption event that takes place during GIE+EXPO, the international landscape, outdoor living and equipment exposition. Mulligan and 14 other dogs were adopted at the event. The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) and GIE+EXPO partner with the TurfMutt Foundation on Lucky’s Mutt Madness.

Mulligan marks a new page in the TurfMutt platform, which grew from a youth education program launched in 2009 in a handful of Sacramento and Washington, D.C. schools to reaching 70 million students, teachers, and families through its education partners, Weekly Reader, Discovery Education and Scholastic. The message has remained the same, however: nature starts at your backdoor and everyone can help save the planet starting with their backyard.

Fast forward to today, and the program has become a national platform appearing on every major television network, The Hub, Animal Planet and more including the award-winning show, Lucky Dog, for three seasons, being featured in Parade magazine’s Earth Day issue and winning awards. Government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have used TurfMutt as a resource. Today, in addition to Scholastic, the youth education program is distributed through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBCs) Global Learning Lab.

Animal rescue has always been part of the TurfMutt education equation, which makes Mulligan a perfect fit to fill the superhero cape left by Lucky.

For the last two years, at Lucky’s Mutt Madness, the TurfMutt Foundation and GIE+EXPO donated a $10,000 check to the KHS to support their work in animal rehabilitation, rescue and adoption.

I had a chance to interview Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI.

Why was the TurfMutt Foundation created?

The TurfMutt Foundation was created in 2009 to promote environmental stewardship. Its youth education program www.TurfMutt.com has inspired millions of kids, families and teachers to become backyard superheroes by creating and sustaining suburban and urban habitat, parks, sports fields, and other green spaces. Why? Because nature starts at your backdoor and everyone can help save the planet starting with their own backyard.

This program grew from a youth education program launched in a handful of Sacramento and Washington, D.C. schools to reaching 70 million people through its education partners, Weekly Reader, Discovery Education and Scholastic.

How does the Lucky's Mutt Madness help fill a need?

Lucky’s Mutt Madness is a national dog adoption event organized by the TurfMutt Foundation with the help of The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) and GIE+EXPO, the international trade show for the landscaping, hardscape and outdoor power industries. I adopted my rescue pup, Mulligan at the event in October, and I’m happy to report an additional 14 other dogs went home with GIE+EXPO attendees.

Mulligan will fill the cape left behind by Lucky the TurfMutt, who recently passed away at the TurfMutt Foundation offices after serving as the organization’s superhero voice for a decade. We still have a lot of work to do in the years to come as we educate students and families about the benefits offered by our green spaces and how to care for them. We are excited to have Mulligan as our spokesdog.

How can families make sure their homes and yards are pet-ready when adopting a new dog?

There are few things to ask yourself to determine if your yard is “pet-friendly:”

Think about what your dog needs. Pets love living landscapes and love being in your yard. What does your dog need the most in a yard? A place to romp and exercise? A place to relax in the shade for an afternoon nap?

Select “dog-proof” ground coverings. Grass is one of the best ground coverings around because it can handle the wear and tear that comes with pets and children. Bermuda and buffalo grass are especially hardy, and they are drought-resistant, too. Grass also delivers great health benefits for you, your pets and your family by producing oxygen, sequestering carbon, capturing water runoff, and cleaning and filtering rainwater.

  

Select appropriate plants. For areas near your garden paths, select plants that have soft foliage, but are still sturdy enough to withstand a little canine rough housing. If your dog is a “plant chewer” be sure to check the ASPCA’s list of toxic and non-toxic garden plants for advice on what known toxic plants to avoid.

Use barriers to keep your dog out of flower or garden beds. Add barriers to beds that are a challenge for your dog to avoid over the spring and summer. A low fence, rocks and other obstacles can encourage your dog to stay out.

Avoid plastic grass. Plastic grass, also known as artificial turf, gets too hot for humans and pets, especially in summer months. In fact, a study revealed that synthetic-turf surface temperatures were 37 degrees higher than asphalt and 86 degrees hotter than natural turf.

For more information, go to www. SaveLivingLandscapes.com and www.TurfMutt.com.

About TurfMutt
TurfMutt was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. Through classroom materials developed with Scholastic, TurfMutt teaches students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” TurfMutt is an official USGBC® Education Partner and part of their global LEARNING LAB. TurfMutt is an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. TurfMutt’s personal, home habitat is featured in the 2017-2019 Wildlife Habitat Council calendars. More information at www.TurfMutt.com.