Check Out TurfMutt’s International Backyarding Fact Book

The TurfMutt Foundation champions the power of parks, backyards and other green spaces for our health and well-being, and that of the planet. (It's something that makes Mulligan the TurfMutt very happy!) One of the ways we do this is by tracking what science says about these benefits of green space.

Check out the updated TurfMutt International Backyarding Fact Book here to see what we've discovered.

The updated Fact Book includes these research findings:

• People with more nature in their neighborhoods smoke and drink less, a study led by the University of Exeter found.
• A five-year study in Florida found that 229,034 Medicare beneficiaries consistently exposed to “high greenness” had a 9% lower incidence of new cardiovascular diseases than those in “low greenness.”
• Preliminary findings of a study in Rhode Island that tracks children’s exposure to parks and greenery using GPS, surveys and saliva tests suggest time outdoors improves memory, sleep and mood.
• According to The Harris Poll survey conducted for the TurfMutt Foundation:
  • 89% of Americans consider a good public park system a top community amenity.
  • Nearly all Americans (96%) use public green spaces, like public parks, for
    recreation.
  • A vast majority (89%) feel communities should prioritize providing these spaces for community health and well-being.

This is just a sampling of the research that the TurfMutt Foundation has collected. Find out more in TurfMutt’s International Backyarding Fact Book. Look for Mulligan the TurfMutt on Saturday morning’s CBS Lucky Dog and Mission Unstoppable. Sign up for Mutt Mail to get all things TurfMutt, delivered right to your inbox, here.