What YOU Can Do for Wildlife: Part 1

A big thank you to everyone who completed the Froglife Supporters Survey - we have been analysing the results and you will be seeing improvements and new things happening in 2012 as a result.

An impressive proportion of you who completed the survey are already taking wildlife-friendly action– from wildlife gardening, supporting Toads on Roads to involvement in surveys, habitat creation or fundraising.   The number one thing you wanted to hear more about was how you could do even more to help amphibians and reptiles. So, here’s the first of 12 tips from Froglife to inspire you in 2012:

Idea Number 1. Dig a Pond and Enjoy the Beasties.

A flourishing widlife pond - photo: Paul Cox

Trustee Inez Smith created a pond about 6 years ago and says: “We created the pond to encourage the frogs that we often found in the garden and they breed in it now. We have also started to find smooth newts (usually 5 males & 1 female) in the pond and this year we found one baby newt. It’s a small pond but attracts a range of other creatures as well.”

- You don’t have to do it alone – there are tips in our Just Add Water publication, and Froglife’s Kathy Wormald got help from the team to create hers. Perhaps you could have a pond digging party, ask a handy friend or a local landscape gardener for help. 
- Materials are available at a special offer price through World of Water stores.
- If you don’t have space for a pond of your own, local parks and green spaces often need help look for volunteers. You could get in touch with your local council or the Friends of Group for a park to see if you can lend a hand. We also have volunteering opportunities on our website here.

Both Inez and Living Water Officer Iain Maclean remind us of the value of sitting back to “enjoy the beautiful plants and beasties.” Watching the wildlife that flourishes around a pond is a great reminder of why the hard work is worth it, and our educational projects are living proof of the mental and physical health benefits.

“In the summer we spend ages just watching the pond and everything in it and it’s a lovely way to relax,” enthuses Inez. “It makes me very happy to be out digging new ponds!” adds Iain.

We’d love to hear how you get on, and we can share your pond creations stories to inspire and inform others on our the stories page of our website http://www.froglife.org/stories/

You can also help support wildife through becoming a Froglife Friend and supporter.  You can sign up here.

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