Caped canine

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – After a successful pilot launch in 2009, a program created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute to educate elementary school kids about the environmental benefits of turf has expanded nationwide. 

 

The face of the curriculum is a real rescue dog, Lucky, who turns into TurfMutt, a caped crusader who champions creating and caring for green spaces in a responsible way. 

 

“It looks fanciful and fun, and some may question the value, but it's a way to move the message,” says Kris Kiser, executive vice president at OPEI.  “TurfMutt, the dog, is a sophisticated use of a character as a teaching tool.  As such, a 4th grader gets engaged. The materials get students engaged and thinking about the holistic value of greenscapes.”

 

The idea is to encourage kids to think about the benefits of landscapes, then take that message home to their parents, Kiser says. 

 

“We did learn that there was not material out there that presented the big picture, the holistic messages about the benefits of lawns and landscapes. We strongly believe this is an important way to assist the industry by helping people better understand the value of greenscapes. Students take these materials home to parents and families, so the message is broad.”

 

The science program, a partnership with the educational publishing company Weekly Reader, teaches third through fifth grade students the science behind green spaces’ ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), release oxygen, cool the air, control dust, reduce erosion and filter water. It began as a pilot program in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, Calif.

 

The TurfMutt curriculum includes science-based experiments on seed starting, photosynthesis and water absorption, worksheets, and a Web-based game. 

 

Kiser says association membership will sit down with Weekly Reader at the OPEI annual meeting in June to discuss ways contractors could capitalize on the TurfMutt program at their local school level.

 

“The program is at the beginning stages and we'd like to broaden it even further, and we think it's very relevant to contractors,” he says. 

 

Kiser says teachers in pilot programs have been using TurfMutt materials in their classes and sharing them with their colleagues.

 

“We've seen a lot of requests, and early surveys showed that they found the students engaged, and the curriculum filled a 'hole.' We are finding that teachers that see the program in their school, ask for it for their own classroom. They are copying it and using it in other classes,” he says.  

 

To learn more about the program, visit www.TurfMutt.com.