The backyard isn't canceled: celebrate Earth Day at home

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The TurfMutt Foundation encouraged residents to visit the backyard and to celebrate Earth Day without ever leaving home.

Get outside. 

The backyard is an outdoor living room and safe place for pets and children to play. Science proves spending time in the family's yard is good for their health and well-being. Researchers have found that people living in neighborhoods with more birds, shrubs and trees are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and stress.

Make the outdoors a family project.

Take loved ones outside to assess the space. What's working well? What could be improved? What can the family plan to do together in the backyard? Anything needing to be cleaned up? Make a plan to expand or spruce up the yard.

Connect children to nature.

Free, online, do-at-home lesson plans are available from the https://www.TurfMutt.com. The environmental education program resources and activities, based on science, technology, engineering and math principles, give children the prompts they need to have fun learning about and exploring the nature and science in their own backyards.

Know the climate zone.

Learn about climate-zone-appropriate plants, the importance of pollinators and how backyards can support local wildlife. Conduct a plant inventory to determine what's currently thriving in the backyard. Match that up against the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to determine the best types of turf, trees, shrubs and plants for the climate zone.

Keep pollinators in mind.

The yard is an important part of the connected ecosystem providing much-needed food and shelter for pollinators, such as birds, bees, butterflies, bats and other creatures. Select a variety of plants that will bloom all year long. The Audubon Society's database can help determine which birds will be attracted to which plants for unique regions so homeowners can make good choices about what to plant.

Plant, prune or mow.

Staying confined to home base doesn't mean gardening and yard work have to stop. Order garden supplies online or have them delivered from a nearby nursery. Mow the lawn and trim bushes. 

Research shows people who gardened for at least 30 minutes a week had lower body mass indexes – a measure of body fat – as well as higher levels of self-esteem and better moods overall. They also reported lower levels of tension and stress.

For more facts and tips on saving the planet one yard at a time, visit https://www.turfmutt.com.

Submitted by TurfMutt Foundation.