National TurfMutt Teacher Award announced

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announced August 16 that Scholastic is creating a National TurfMutt Teacher Award in conjunction with the program’s annual “Be a Backyard Superhero” essay contest. The winning teacher will be awarded a trip to the National Science Teachers Association annual conference in Los Angeles March 30-April 2, 2017.

The TurfMutt essay contest launches this fall. K-5 students will submit essays on how they are helping TurfMutt and the Outdoor Powers combat the environmental villains (Carbon Creep, Dust Demon, Dr. Runoff and Heat Freak). One winner will earn a $10,000 grant for his or her school to spruce up its grounds or put in an outdoor classroom. Watch www.TurfMutt.com for contest entry rules and deadlines.

This fall, a new TurfMutt poster also will be sent to more than 80,000 schools, urging teachers, students and parents to “Know Your Climate Zone,” and identify their climatic region so they can plant the right grass, shrubs, trees and flowering plants appropriate for their area.

But, not to rest on his laurels, TurfMutt, the spokesdog for OPEI’s successful and ever-growing TurfMutt program, has been hard at work this summer, sharing his message about caring for living landscapes. He recently went on a “Paw it Forward” tour out West, where he visited the Equipment Dealers Association (EDA) and Sellers Expositions (GIE+EXPO’s event management company), as well as filmed the first of several episodes of the new season of CBS’s “Lucky Dog” television show, airing on Saturday mornings.

This summer, TurfMutt has also been sharing tips and holding giveaways during TurfMutt Tuesdays on his Facebook page. Visitors can win prizes for sharing how their own TurfMutts enjoy their green spaces, and how they are helping promote and care for their living landscapes.

Watch for more details on new program developments, as well as TurfMutt’s travels, contests and special announcements.