Leap forward for East of England’s frogs

Frogs and other pond life are getting a welcome boost in the East of England with the announcement that a £195,500 grant has been earmarked by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for Froglife.

We have been given the green light to finalise an education project that would involve hundreds of pupils from eight schools and develop learning materials that could be used in future by many more. An initial £8,300 grant has been awarded by HLF for Froglife to work up precise details of the project and to come back within two years with the fully developed scheme.

The project – called Leapfrog – aims to create a high quality wildlife pond at eight schools and to train teachers, parents’ association members and grounds staff in the proper care and management of the sites.

The ponds would not only be used as learning resources but would help to encourage local communities to build their own ponds creating a network of habitats for amphibians and other wildlife throughout the area.

Commenting on the Leapfrog project Robyn Llewellyn, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund East of England, said: “2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and projects like this one are fundamental to raising awareness of the importance of our local natural heritage and encouraging communities to celebrate and care for it. We look forward to seeing how Froglife develop their project over the coming months.”

You can find out more about the Leapfrog project here.