LEARNING ACTIVITY
Creating a frog-friendly habitat: construction
Category: Biodiversity
Climate Region: Arid | Temperate | Tropical
State or Territory: ACT | NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA
Age Range: 7-13

STORY

Suyin, Tom and their local Landcare group met regularly to organise all the materials and tools they needed for their project. Many people offered to support them by donating equipment, native and aquatic plants as well as their time as volunteers. On the day of the community working bee, it became very clear to Suyin and Tom how much protecting the local frogs meant to the community. There were so many volunteers. While it took a lot of hard work and effort, Suyin and Tom beamed as they finally laid the last of the plants and rocks and the safety signage. They couldn’t believe that they have just created a frog-friendly pond!

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

The lack of suitable habitat is a real threat to frogs across Australia. With research and thoughtful design processes, you can take action and create a frog-friendly habitat on your property, at school or in your local community garden. This will require good preparation, resourcing and a great team of patient and diligent helpers. Restoration of habitats increases the land’s ability to support frog populations and helps connect frog communities.

This learning activity is the third part of a sequence of 3 individual learning activities focused on creating a frog-friendly habitat. The order of these learning activities are: research, design and construction.

Outcomes

For children to:

  • understand that they can help support frog species through creation and restoration of their habitat
  • appreciate the planning and materials required to create a frog-friendly habitat
  • learn how to create a healthy pond environment
  • value the needs of local frog species, their aquatic breeding and foraging habitat and to be able to construct that habitat for them.
SEASONAL NOTES

While this activity can be undertaken any time of year, undertaking this project during times of predictable rainfall is preferable. Natural rainfall will fill the pond and enable young learners to observe where the water pools naturally in your area.

During spring and summer, run this as a morning activity to avoid heat stress for people and plants.

Did you know?

Taller plants like reeds and sedges are useful plants to have in your frog pond. They help to provide a protective habitat for frogs and fish.

Did you know?

Tadpoles mostly live as bottom-dwellers and feed on decomposing materials like leaf litter and algae.

Did you know?

Native fish can make a great addition to a frog pond as they eat mosquito larvae. The Pacific Blue Eye and Australian Smelt are some recommended species to source from a local, licensed native fish suppliers. Mosquito fish are a threat to survival of frogs as they devour all tadpoles.

Did you know?

Frogs sleep patterns and diet are suited to their environment.

We value your feedback

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Your feedback will help Landcare Australia improve the activities in the Junior Landcare Learning Centre.

Why not try one of our other Junior Landcare learning activities?

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