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One Giant Leap for Mankind...

                                        One More Step to Save Frogs

by Lesley Dickie

New Year’s Eve/ New Year’s Day events – Global Leapfrog

Introduction

To maximise public, media and corporate awareness of the 2008 Year of the Frog a global event that links zoos, countries and continents is envisaged. Leapfrog, the child’s game, has a high recognition factor in a substantial number of countries; if however it is unknown its simplicity makes it easily transferable.

As with the New Year moving across the globe from East to West, a wave of staged leapfrog events occurring at 11am New Year’s Eve local time at WAZA zoos and aquariums, with one zoo symbolically handing the game to the next zoo in the timeline or the next country in the timeline will create one giant ‘leap’ across the world to launch the 2008 Year of the Frog. To bring the leap full circle some zoos may prefer to hold the event on New Year’s Day.

Each event should attract local or national media and make reference to the unity of the event spreading across the planet. This alone should generate considerable media attention for the campaign. If zoos could also secure high profile figures to attend the event and sign the petition for frogs (global or local) even greater media focus should be generated.

While clearly benefiting the Year of the Frog it also provides a unique activity for the zoos and aquariums to offer during this holiday period and provides further marketing focus at this time.

The actual event (this can be tailored to suit institutional/regional needs)

Children in the zoo (who would be aware of the event through pre-publicity or signage at the zoo when they arrive) would be invited to form ‘teams’ to leapfrog over a set-distance (maybe making ‘ribbit’ noises while they do this!). The giant leap would be begun by the celebrity, or someone at the zoo, blowing a whistle or sounding a claxon. This would begin at exactly 11am. After successfully completing their leapfrog challenge the children could then receive badges/stickers/momentoes of some kind with a slogan such as ‘I leapt for frogs! 2008 Year of the Frogs’. Each zoo will have arranged press coverage and sent out press packs. If the zoo also holds amphibians there may be an opportunity for photo-calls with the frogs.

Each zoo will doubtless arrange the event to reflect their local audience – what is important is that there is a continuity of events across the world (see Leapfrog Timeline).

This global leapfrog would be a unique event. Please sign up to make one giant leap for frogs.

Participating institutions...

Leapfrog media release...