November 20th

By Mutt Mulligan

5 reasons to be grateful for grass & green space

 ‘Tis the season of gratitude! In honor of Thanksgiving, TurfMutt wanted to share the top 5 reasons to be grateful for grass and other living landscapes.

Reason #1: Lawns are incredible oxygen-making machines, and they cleanse the air too!
A grass area measuring 50×50 feet will produce enough oxygen to meet the daily needs of a family of four. Research has also shown that turfgrass removes atmospheric pollutants such as carbon dioxide, ozone, hydrogen fluoride, and perosyzacetyle nitrate from the air. Grass also plays a vital role in capturing dust, smoke particles and other pollutants that harm people.

Reason #2: Lawns combat climate change.
Grass is the largest carbon sink in the country, absorbing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide that is warming up our planet. An average-sized home lawn has the potential to sequester 20.3 to 163.4 kg C per lawn, per year. The dense canopy and fibrous root system in your lawn sequesters carbon so well, that it outweighs the carbon used for maintaining the grass by as much as seven times!

Reason #3: Grass helps control water runoff and erosion.
Grass acts like a sponge and prevents water from “running off” into area sewer drains and carrying anything it collects along the way – like motor oil, dirt or trash. Grass cleans the water it collects and breaks down harmful microbes and pollutants, keeping them out of groundwater supplies. The natural filtration system in your lawn is so effective that rainwater filtered through a healthy lawn is often as much as 10 times less acidic than water running off a hard surface like a sidewalk or hardscape. It also prevents flooding and soil erosion by “hanging on” to soil.

Reason #4: Green space makes us happier.
Research shows that knowing and experiencing nature, including grass, makes us generally happier, healthier people. Studies show that even just looking out a window at green spaces can lower adult stress levels. Walking or running in green spaces, instead of indoor environments, led to decreased anger, fatigue and feelings of depression, while increasing attention levels

Reason #5: Children & pets benefit from lawns.
A usable outdoor area provides a safe area for children and pets to play, while providing a spacious living area for the entire family. Outdoor play increases fitness levels and builds active, healthy bodies, an important strategy in helping the one in three American kids who are obese get fit. Research also shows that children’s stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces.

Learn more about the benefits of your living landscapes at SaveLivingLandscapes.com.