Asking your school to get involved in a herp project may provoke some raised eyebrows. Staff, parents, and other students may need a mini-education on the wonderful world of creeping crawlies to get them excited about highlighting and helping herps.

Frogwatch

You can help scientists protect frogs in twenty minutes a week. Frogwatch USA is a frog- and toad-monitoring program that gives you a real chance to make a difference. All you need to do is collect basic information about the frogs and toads that live near you and send it in to scientists to analyze. This long-term amphibian study, managed by the National Wildlife Federation in partnership with the United States Geological Survey, is helping scientists find ways to help stop the decline of frogs. The first step is registering at www.frogwatch.org.

Get your Frogwatch materials today, set up your frog-watching team, and help protect your local frogs and toads. Get your neighborhood involved by designing a frog-watch poster and giving one to each neighbor.

Herp Exhibition

Host an exhibition of herps by having students volunteer to bring in examples of herps like stuffed animals or other toys they have from home. They should make a placard that has information such as the common name, the Latin name, and where their herp lives. Set up a display in a prominent location or have it set up as a “zoo” during a planned event like a school carnival or parent-teacher conferences.