Participación de la comunidad

How SAVE THE FROGS! Engages Community Members

At SAVE THE FROGS!, our approach to including relevant stakeholder communities in our leadership, program planning, and execution is deeply embedded in our culture. As a primarily volunteer-based organization, we actively encourage and facilitate participation from all interested parties, leveraging their passion and expertise to further our mission. This strategy ensures our programs are not only reflective of but also responsive to the needs and insights of the communities we serve.

For instance, our campaign to halt the annual importation of over two million non-native American Bullfrogs into California showcases our commitment to stakeholder involvement: we not only took an active part in the state’s stakeholder working group over the course of four years, but we also organized our own Bullfrog Action Group and invited anyone with an interest in the issue to take part. Within six months of forming the group, the state voted to prohibit the imports, demonstrating the power of collective action.

The progression of our most active volunteers into leadership positions exemplifies our belief in the value of community expertise and commitment. These individuals, whose skills and interests align with our goals, play a pivotal role in shaping and implementing our programs.

In the context of our wetlands program, our stakeholder engagement strategy is multifaceted. We collaborate with government agencies responsible for land management, ensuring our projects comply with and support existing environmental policies and projects. Volunteers aid in the physical labor needed to restore wetlands, fostering a deeper connection to the natural world. We engage with heavy equipment operators who bring our wetland blueprints to life; and with private landowners, farmers, and school districts who offer their land for wetland development. This cooperation results in the creation of valuable habitats, with committed stakeholders.

Environmental educators and naturalists integrate their knowledge and passion into our conservation efforts, which enriches our programs and ensures they are grounded in scientific understanding and educational best practices.

Through these diverse partnerships, SAVE THE FROGS! ensures that our wetlands program and broader conservation initiatives are both effective and aligned with the needs and values of our stakeholder communities.

Learn more about SAVE THE FROGS! here.

SAVE THE FROGS! Grants Winner Amat Ribut’s team in Bentiang, Madomang-Village, Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2023