In celebration of Earth Day, the TurfMutt Foundation, Alexandria, Virginia, has released a series of tips to help people protect and enjoy nature year round.
“Every day can be Earth Day,” say Kris Kiser, president of the TurfMutt Foundation. “By using and caring for the green space around our homes, schools, municipal parks and other managed areas, the outdoors can be available to anyone at any time.”
Think of the ways you can move activities normally done indoors, outdoors. From playing to working, from exercising to dining, more people are finding their front and backyards are an extension of their home. Consider what you can take outside, like work or video calls. Indoor spaces provide shelter from inclement weather, but the outdoors allows for you to get some Vitamin D, fresh air and stress-relief.
Explore a living laboratory. Your backyard or park is an active and growing place for learning even when school isn’t in session. Take online classes under the shade of a tree. Do homework at a patio or picnic table. Brush up on STEM education by planting and studying flowers, insects, wildlife and weather watching.
Enjoy a “green” spa. Lay in a hammock, get some fresh air, mediate, do yoga and exercise outdoors.
Create a five-star event space. The pandemic made traditional celebrations and gatherings challenging, but the outdoors came to the rescue for events. Yards and community parks serve as spaces able to cater to events of any size and type.
Set the stage for backyarding. Creating a yard that supports all of the aspects of your family’s outdoor lifestyle means taking stock of what you might need to care for your green space. Take an inventory of your yard, your individual needs, landscape and equipment need to care for it to make sure your space will always be there for backyard memory-making.
