TurfMutt’s Tips to Embrace Your Community Park this Summer
May 11, 2026
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The TurfMutt Foundation encourages families, pet owners and community members to embrace the power of their parks this summer. More than just scenery, community parks are vital outdoor spaces that boost mental health and physical wellness, provide critical cooling for urban environments and provide free venues for making summer memories.
“Parks connect us to nature, our neighbors and our own well-being,” says Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. “This summer, we’re encouraging everyone to expand their ‘backyarding’ mindset beyond their home’s fence line and into our shared community spaces.”
To help you harness the power of parks, TurfMutt offers the following tips:
• Community Connection. If your personal outdoor space is limited, the park is your shared backyard. Use it for sprawling family reunions, intimate sunset picnics or walking clubs.
• Take the Office Outdoors. Swap your cubicle for a shaded picnic table. Natural light and fresh air provide a much-needed cure for digital fatigue.
• Nature’s Gym. Trade the air-conditioned gym for a patch of park grass to make your workout that much more effective and enjoyable.
• Prioritize Howling Good Times. Dog parks are essential for canine socialization and manners. Just remember to follow dog park etiquette and rules to keep everyone safe and happy.
• Utilize the Living Classroom. Mitigate the “summer slide” and lure your kids away from screens by visiting the park to identify local flora, fauna and wildlife. Use TurfMutt’s online resources to turn a nature walk into a fun, hands-on lesson.
• Practice a “Mindful Minute.” Sometimes the best park activity is doing nothing at all. Unplug and recharge by focusing on a park’s birdsongs or the breeze in the trees.
Check out TurfMutt’s Park Personality Types on TurfMutt.com for even more inspiration about how to harness the power of parks this summer.
About the TurfMutt Foundation
TurfMutt, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. The Foundation is title sponsor of “Lucky Dog,” the Emmy Award-winning CBS broadcast television show in support of dog rescue and rehabilitation. Both TurfMutt spokesdogs have been rescue dogs, and Mutt Mulligan is a cast character on the show, where her “Mulligan Minute” segments teach viewers about the benefits of green space. In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. Championed by Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Scholastic, Discovery, Weekly Reader, and the USBGC Global Learning Lab, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. More information at www.TurfMutt.com.