November 20th

By Mutt Mulligan

4 reasons to be grateful for our yards & parks  

In this season of gratitude, The TurfMutt Foundation has some reminders about why we should add our living landscapes to our list of reasons to be thankful. Especially during the pandemic, we have gained an appreciation of the outdoors – including our own yards and community parks.

Here are just 4 reasons to give thanks for our living landscapes that:

Provide a place to reconnect with yourself and others. Our outdoor spaces are the safe place to unplug from computers, televisions, and smartphones. Disconnecting from electronics, to-do lists and the news cycle lets you re-connect to nature, family and friends (from a safe distance, of course).

Improve health & well-being. Being an “outsider” by exploring and appreciating nature – starting in our own backyards and community green spaces – reduces stress, improves memory, boosts heart health and offers a host of other benefits for our minds and bodies.

Support the environment. Did you know being a steward of your backyard is one way you can help combat climate change? Our living landscapes are environmental superheroes. Our grass, trees, bushes and flowering plants benefit the environment by capturing and filtering rain water, producing oxygen, absorbing carbon, just to name a few. Check out this infographic to learn more.

Nurture wildlife. Nature starts at your own backdoor. Your backyard supports biodiversity and is an urban wildlife habitat. Pollinators, insects and small mammals rely on your yard as part of the connected ecosystem.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of our living landscapes.