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SPECIAL FEATURE 12 April 2016 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com SPECIAL FEATURE "We don't want the California water problem to become a national problem," said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI). According to Kiser, home- owners need to be made aware that they don't have to rip out their grass and replace it with artifi cial turf or rocks. Instead, it is about understanding and identifying the right species for the location. It's not that you can't have grass, they're just telling you not to water, he added. This is just one of the messages regarding living landscapes that Kiser and his rescue dog, Lucky, are trying to convey. As Kiser would tell you, they are trying to "paw" it forward. Lucky, otherwise know as "TurfMutt," serves as the "spokes- dog" for the OPEI Education & Research Foundation's TurfMutt environmental stewardship and education program by Scholas- tic, for children in grades K-5. The national program has reached more than 62 million children, educators and families since 2009, showing them how they can "save the planet, one yard at a time." The TurfMutt program includes lesson plans for teachers, take-home sheets and learning activities for families, a website and blog, interactive games and a digital storybook. Through the TurfMutt program, children learn how a green space benefi ts their community (see infographic on page 14). Backyard science activities explore how grass keeps water and air clean and the planet cooler, how plants make rivers and lakes healthier, and how grass helps to prevent water pollution. "Green space matters. It matters to our communities and our families," said Kiser. "It's not just about teaching children science and environmental education. It's about getting outside, and taking care of green space, and being part of a community that cares, and together making a difference." Kiser and TurfMutt have taken those messages to network television as well, and they are appearing this season on the Emmy Award-winning "Lucky Dog" television show that airs Saturday mornings on CBS as a part of the "CBS Dream Team, It's Epic" block of programming. The "Lucky Dog" show follows animal trainer Brandon McMillan, who rescues and trains untrained and unadoptable dogs. In the end, a lucky family adopts an even luckier dog. As part of the program, Kiser and TurfMutt help educate the adopting family, and viewers, on ways to create environmentally responsible living landscapes that families and pets can enjoy. "I met many families living in California as part of taping the show, and was able to visit their yards and provide tips on how to make a living landscape a home for their new pups," said Kiser. "It's not just about having a lawn for your dog and your kids at all costs. It's about having the right kind of yard, including a lawn, for the environment you are living in today." TurfMutt has been a success. In addition to being on national television, it is an educational resource with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Interior, the U.S. Green Building Council, the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development OPEI's TurfMutt is a dog on a mission, and he needs your help Lucky (a.k.a. "TurfMutt") A New Breed of Hero ■ BY JOHN KMITTA AND STEVE NOE