Chronicle Creates · Original Series

Second Nature

“Rediscovering the beauty in your own backyard… that’s Second Nature.”

A feel-good reality series where a team of green-space experts help real families in need transform their backyards into thriving, great green spaces. Built for the people and furry companions who live there.

Watch the trailer Nominate a family →
In partnership with
The TurfMutt Foundation
Host
Marc Singer
Featuring
Kris Kiser & Mulligan
Format
Feel-good reality series
Filmed in
Louisville, KY
Produced by
Chronicle Cinema
Series sizzle reel
The premise
Every family deserves a place to breathe.
Every dog deserves room to run.

Second Nature brings together green-space experts to help families reclaim their outdoor spaces and turn them into thriving backyard ecosystems, one story at a time.

Second Nature offers an educational but practical look at how to build a balanced landscape that supports the environment and the people living in it. Each transformation is rooted in native plants, sustainable design, and the belief that every family deserves an outdoor space that feels like home.

Hosted by Marc Singer, every episode is a warm, hopeful hour: we meet a family and their dog, hear what their yard means to them and what’s standing in the way, then follow a full reclamation from overgrown to alive: ending with a reveal, a promise to keep it growing, and an invitation to come outside.

How each episode works
From overgrown to alive.
01
Meet the family
We meet the family and their dog, hear their story, and understand why this space matters so much.
02
Meet the team
A charismatic host, a skilled contractor, and a green-space expert. Occasionally joined by TurfMutt’s Kris Kiser and his rescue dog Mulligan.
03
The inventory
Walking the yard: what’s loved, what’s forgotten, what’s worth saving, and the family’s “Backyard Personality Type.”
04
Clearing the way
The clean-up crew makes room for what’s already thriving to shine, and for new native plants to move in.
05
Picking the plants
A plant expert helps choose the right natives for the space, the climate zone, and the family’s life.
06
Into the green
A trip to a nearby park or green space. A “Park 101” moment on why these spaces matter to all of us.
07
The reveal
The reclaimed yard, revealed. Before-and-afters, real reactions, and the plants the family chose themselves.
08
Keep it growing
A practical guide to maintaining their new great green space so it keeps thriving.
09
One month later
We return to see the family living in and loving their space. And hear how it changed things.
The pilot
The Newland Family & Meatloaf.

Our pilot follows the Newlands of Louisville, Joe, chasing a dream of becoming a pilot, and Katie, a nurse who cares for medically fragile kids: their children, and their rescue dog, Meatloaf.

They’d turned a reclaimed side lot into a neighborhood gathering place, but it left little room for their own family and an anxious dog who needs space to run. By the reveal, they have a safe, private green space with grass to play on, pollinators, and a dedicated spot to host the people they love.

The Newland family backyard build on Second Nature
In partnership with
The TurfMutt Foundation.

There are over 800 million acres of public green space in the U.S.: from forests to national parks: filled with thousands of plants, animals, and insect species. The TurfMutt Foundation empowers all of us to engage with and care for these living landscapes, starting right in our own backyards.

Featuring
Kris Kiser & Mulligan
TurfMutt Foundation President & CEO Kris Kiser, and his rescue dog Mulligan. Join the team to champion the great green spaces in every backyard.
Follow along
Behind the scenes.

Follow the builds, the dogs, and the reveals as episodes roll out.

The transformation
Before & after.
Episode One: The Newlands
Backyard before the Second Nature build The same backyard after the Second Nature build
Before
After
Angle A
Backyard before the Second Nature build The same backyard after the Second Nature build
Before
After
Angle B
Know a family who deserves this?
We’re casting Louisville-area families with a dog and a backyard that needs some love. No cost, no experience. Just a genuine story.
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