Our newest education and outreach program is concerned with urban ponds.  Most city residents value their neighborhood ponds because they add beauty to their community and provide recreational activities.  However, these ponds are also important ecosystems and protecting them is essential for preserving the services they provide.

The Know Your Pond, Save Your Pond Education and Outreach Program is aimed toward educating urban residents about the invertebrates that inhabit urban ponds and what people can do to protect these essential animals. In particular, our program is focusing the almost 2-fold increase in pesticide occurrence in urban waterways over the past ten years.  This is mostly due to residential pesticide use.  By reducing the amount of pesticides used on their own lawn and household, ordinary citizens can make a difference in protecting the urban ponds they love and enjoy.

We have also developed educational materials for elementary school children to teach them more about pond life. By reaching out to school age children we hope to raise a generation with appreciation for urban pond life and a desire to protect their neighborhood ponds.

See our POSTER for more information or download our kid friendly TAXONOMIC KEY and COLORING PAGES for your kids or for use in your classroom.