The Build A Frog Pond Contest
Register To Take Part In The Contest
Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction
The SAVE THE FROGS! Build A Frog Pond Contest invites schools and homeowners to build frog ponds on their property and document the project and its successes through video, photos and stories, which will be posted online to educate and inspire others to do the same. With your help we can cover the globe with frog habitat and fill the night air with the soothing sounds of frog calls.
Habitat destruction is the number one cause of amphibian extinctions worldwide. Fortunately, homeowners and schools can help create new habitat for frogs! Building a backyard frog pond is a great way to give your local frog populations a boost.
And what better way to get kids interested in frogs than to have them build a frog pond behind their school? Their efforts will be rewarded when they see the first clutch of eggs in the pond, and when the first tadpoles metamorphose and trade in their aquatic existence for a terrestrial life! Plus, the lessons learned from the project align with many state's required science criteria.
"A pond is sure to be the most exciting element on school grounds".
--Kirk Meyer,
Executive Director, Green Schoolyard Network
Your mission
Build a frog pond at your home or school. Document the project and its successes through video, photos and stories. Put your best stories, photos and videos on a disc and mail it to us. That's it! Go SAVE THE FROGS!
Prizes
Did we mention that there will be prizes?
The winning homeowner will:
(1) Win $250 CASH (or check!).
(2) Win a Critter Skimmer, which will save the frogs from drowning in their swimming pool. (US and Canadian residents only!)
(3) Become an official judge of next year's SAVE THE FROGS! Build A Frog Pond Contest.
(4) See their photos, stories and videos featured on this website.
(5) Receive frog fame.
The winning school will:
(1) Have a very happy teacher, because the teacher in charge of the winning school's pond-building project will win $250 CASH (or check!).
(2) Win a free "Wild World of Frogs" webinar and Skype call with SAVE THE FROGS! Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger. What's that mean? That means you hook up a computer to your school's big screen, and Dr. Kriger will give your school a virtual presentation on frogs and answer all your amphibious questions!
(3) Win a fully licensed copy of The Digital Frog 2.5, an excellent alternative to dissections (which bring with them a host of environmental and ethical problems).
(4) See their photos, stories and videos featured on this website.
(5) Receive frog fame.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can enter?
Any school or homeowner can enter the contest and help SAVE THE FROGS! We encourage teachers to spread the word to the other schools in their district. We encourage students to tell their teachers about this contest and ask them to get the school saving some frogs!
Be sure to register for the contest BEFORE you start building your pond.
How do we build a frog pond?
The Sage website has some great pond building tips, as does Pond Conservation and their Guide to Building Ponds. Also have a look at Froglife's Just Add Water pond page. We'll be adding our own tips to this page soon as well! Have some tips for us to add? Send them to us via our contact page. Remember: clean water is key, so if possible, use rainwater instead of tap water!
How do we get frogs in our new pond?
If you build it, they will come! Frogs like to wander the landscape in search of food and new breeding ponds. This is great for you, because if there are any frog populations in your area, chances are that a frog or two will find your nice new pond, and get straight down to business filling it up with eggs and tadpoles. We do not recommend you transport amphibians from elsewhere to populate your pond (and in some states it is actually illegal to move frogs around without a permit!).
How do we enter the contest?
Great, you're going to build a frog pond!
STEP 1 (Registration): Register for the contest BEFORE you begin your project, so we can keep you updated, give you tips, and know when your project began.
STEP 2 (Construction and Documentation): Build an amazing frog pond. Get photos and/or videos of the construction, the frogs or anything else of interest. Tell us what you did. Tell us what happened. Tell us any good stories about your experience. Tell us what species showed up, not just of frogs but any wildlife. Be as detailed as you like (but long does not necessarily equal good!). If you have film editing skills or if there is a film department at your school, make a short documentary about your pond project.
STEP 3 (Submission): Put your BEST writing in a Word document, choose your BEST photos and/or videos, burn it all onto a CD or DVD and mail it to us, being sure to include your name, your school's name, your mailing address, email address, phone number, and whether you are a student, teacher or homeowner! And do it before the closing date!
Our mailing address:
SAVE THE FROGS!
Build A Frog Pond Contest
303 Potrero Street, #51
Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
When does the contest end?
All entries must be postmarked by June 15th, 2011. We'll announce a winner shortly thereafter.
What does it cost to enter the contest?
It is FREE to enter the contest! However, be sure to register for the contest BEFORE you start building your pond.
I have land, but no time or energy to dig. Suggestions?
Contact a local school's science department and tell them about the contest. Offer them your land if they would like to bring a group of students out to do the construction.
My school won't allow the pond to be built. Help!!
No problem. Contact a local landowner and tell them about the contest. See if you can build the pond on their land. They get free labor and frogs on their property, and your students get a fun field trip to do the construction.
How do you fund this contest?
Your generous financial support makes contests like these possible, so please donate to SAVE THE FROGS! You can email us to ask us to direct your tax-deductible contribution toward promoting and coordinating this contest. We are also seeking corporate sponsors to donate the cash prizes.
Are you looking for corporate sponsors?
Yes! How did you know? SAVE THE FROGS! is currently seeking corporate sponsors who can donate the cash prizes and help us publicize the contest. If you work for a major company, please talk to the powers that be and ask them to become a "Proud Sponsor of the SAVE THE FROGS! Build A Frog Pond Contest". The contest benefits the environment and youth education, so your company will undoubtedly receive excellent publicity. Contact us if you would like details.
What are the categories?
There are currently two categories:
(1) Homeowners
(2) Schools
Your university counts as a school, so feel free to get your university in on the action. If you are a community group, a park, reserve, business or something other than a homeowner or school, please let us know if you'd like totake part, and perhaps we will make an OTHER category.
We already have a frog pond. Are we eligible?
Not for that pond! You need to build a frog pond from scratch for this contest!
What if no frogs show up by May 15th?
No problem. You'll still likely get diving beetles, Daphnia, dragonflies and other invertebrates, which make good frog food! Creating habitat is important and the frogs should eventually utilize the space. So still feel free to send in a submission.
My school wants to enter. Who should register?
One teacher at a school should enter and serve as the representative and contact for the school. Students should not enter.
Do you have to be from the USA to enter?
No! Frogs need people's help worldwide, so the more countries represented the better!
What are the rules?
Entry into the contest constitutes your agreement to the SAVE THE FROGS! Build A Pond Contest Terms & Conditions. Please read these over, as they describe your rights to the submitted materials as well as ours.
What other contests does SAVE THE FROGS! have?
Frog Art Contest
Frog Poetry Contest
Frog Essay Contest
Race To Stop Dissections Contest
More contests coming soon!
Where can we order awesome SAVE THE FROGS! shirts?
Oh, you wanted to look great in your pond building videos and help support our worldwide amphibian conservation efforts, all while spreading the word about the important work we do? Excellent! You can check out our entire selection of eco-friendly frog merchandise here.
Register here to enter the contest!
Please register as soon as you know you will be building a frog pond. Once the pond is built and May 15th, 2011 rolls around you will need to have sent us in your Contest Submission materials. But that is then and this is now, so if you know you will be building a pond, be sure to register right now. We want to know how many ponds are being built, and want to keep you posted with important updates and tips. Thanks!
To what address should I send my CD or DVD?
Send your CD or DVD containing you stories, photo and/or video to:
SAVE THE FROGS!
Build A Frog Pond Contest
303 Potrero Street #51
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
We strongly recommend using a bubble envelope or otherwise padding the disc.
Pond Contest Trivia
The first pond of the 1st Annual SAVE THE FROGS! Build A Frog Pond Contest was built October 9th and 10th 2010, on Galiano Island, British Columbia, by former STF! Student of the Week, 7th grader Lillian Crossman.
"I was working on my frog pond the whole weekend and i'm finally finished! it is sooooooooo awesome :P :) lolz it doesn't have to be finished until 2011 i even saw a pacific treefrog there :) yay!"
Pond stories from Australia
Submitted by Ray Draper:
"Over the last 8 years we have had constructed 33 large frog ponds to create habitat for the endangered Growling Grassfrog. The largest of these is 50 metres by 30 metres at the Ross Creek Primary School in Victoria, Australia. The kids have done all the planting of 10,000 plants around the wetland and construction of public paths will commence in the new year to give access to the general public to enjoy and learn about frogs and the problems associated. Below are photos of the school wetland before, when it was a noxious weed infested depresion, and after, when the kids had finished planting.
It will take another 2 years before it will be a fully functioning ecosystem.
Cheers, Ray"
Questions?
Don't be afraid to ask. Please write ponds@savethefrogs.com or contact us here.
"This is so awesome! I'm really looking forward to participating in the contest! And I'm spreading the word to all of my friends, too. :)"
--TurtleWoman797
Website design, photos & content by Kerry Kriger unless otherwise noted.
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Build A Frog Pond Contest