Welcome to the Biggs' Wildlife Pond
April 2004 |
king of the pond |
We've built our pond in our Sebastopol,
California backyard, in the hole that was left when we took down our above
ground pool (the deep end was dug in). We've used mostly native plants, many of
which we have found along the roadsides from San Francisco, CA to Tillamook, OR.
A lot of the fun in building this pond has been finding the plants, identifying
them, and just seeing what will survive and what won't. We've also collected
our own rocks. One of our biggest joys is seeing all the `critters' our pond supports,
especially the dragonflies!
We encourage everyone to consider putting in a pond for wildlife.
It is a
real joy.
Click on this link to go to the first of a 3-part article on Building Ponds for Wildlife that are appearing in the on-line magazine, WGI (Water Gardens International) in the Fall/Winter 2009, Spring 2010, and Summer 2010 issues: http://www.watergardenersinternational.org/journal/4-4/kbiggs/page1.html
Click here to learn about our NEW [2007] DRAGONFLY COLORING BOOK!
POND PROGRAMS:
I give programs on building ponds for wildlife and also on dragonflies.
Click here to go to a page that lists them: POND & DRAGONFLY PROGRMS Contact me for more information on any of these programs.
| This site is 100% privately maintained.
If you've found it helpful, a donation to help keep in on the web would be appreciated, thanks! K. Biggs |
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Read my articles:
Pleasures of Wildlife Ponding. List of steps to Build a Pond for Wildlife List of CA/Western USA Plants for use in ponds Please check out our
We no longer advocate the use of mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis for mosquito control unless you live in the midwest or southeast U.S. where these fish are native. We've had negative experiences with their preying on our native western Pacific/Chorus Frog eggs and pollywogs and the dragonfly/damselfly eggs and nymph. If you live in the west, please consider using mosquito dunks, or a native fish such as Killifish or Sticklebacks that our tree/chours frogs, dragonflies, etc. have evolved with. Here is a link to a site that sells mosquito dunks . I don't know anything about this site, but I did find it as a link I could point folks to. Most garden centers should sell this donut-shaped bacillus (BTi) 'dunk', please look for them. They kill ONLY members of the diptera family, such as mosquitoes and black flies. They DON'T harm dragonflies, butterflies, cats, dogs, horses or people, etc. |
Click to view our pond's development during its 1st year - 1996. Click 2nd year - 1997 to see the article about our pond's 2nd year. Click here for the 3rd year maturation in 1998. This spot is for 1999 The wildlife pond enters the new century: Year 2000 Year 2001
2002 started out with SNOW!
2003 spring and fall pond pictures
2004 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond
Mt. Shasta Pond We just couldn't live without one at our retirement home we're building!
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I couldn't identify them as there were no guides for CA. The long and short of the story is - I ENDED UP WRITING ONE -well, 2 now!! Now I go all over the west looking at dragonflies and giving dragonfly and wildlife pond presentations. Building a pond really changed our lives. Below are links to the CA & SW Dragonflies websites I've built & also links
that go to my books,
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Click on book name or image to find out more about it.
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A Coloring book that teaches about dragonflies and dameslflies Dragonflies of North America, A Color and Learn Book with Activities 2007 Click here for more information 
or 
both by Kathy Biggs and Tim Manolis Azalea Creek Publishing |
A guide for identifing the dragonflies & damselflies of the greater Southwest Common Dragonflies of the Southwest A Beginner's Pocket Guide 2004 Click here for more information 
by Kathy Biggs Azalea Creek Publishing |
Our revised, updated and expanded dragonfly guide for California: Common Dragonflies of California A Beginner's Pocket Guide, 2009 (replaces out of print 1st & 2nd printings of this title from 2000) 
useful in OR and WA too! by Kathy Biggs Azalea Creek Publishing |
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The Habitat Garden Book:
Wildlife Landscaping for the San Francisco Bay Region Click here for more information 
by Nancy Bauer Includes a section on dragonfly ponds Revised Second Edition June 2008 |
The BELOMO 10x Triplet, Loupe and Lanyard Click here for more information 
Great magnification for animal, plant or other materials! |
- NEW - The West's 1st dragonfly guide: of the West 
by Dennis Paulson |
Click here to read the article An Interview with Kathy Biggs, on Dragonflies, Dragonfly Ponds and how She Became an Author
If you have a pond, would like to make one, are interested in California native plants or wildlife, or just would like to contact us, please do so bigsnest at sonic.net
Click here to go to a page of links to other WILDLIFE ponds
If you have comments or could make contributions of stories, photos or ideas please click here to email me.
| In 1998 this pond site received a "Links2Go Key Resource award" in the Ponds topic!
We proudly display the award, which is presented to "Fewer than one page in one thousand....based on how actual page authors ..... index and organize links on their pages." |
This site is totally privately funded. If you've found it useful, a small donation will help keep it on the web! Thanks, Kathy Biggs
Build a Pond for Wildlife
This book is still in development, but a 'beta' CD-ROM version as a printable PDF will be available later in 2010.
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Click on image to see a larger version of this new book's cover. CD will print book at with dimensions 11 1/2" X 8" Learn how to create a pond for wildlife, not Koi All photos in color, diagrams, plants lists and more |
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If you have comments or could make contributions of stories, photos or ideas
please click here to email me. |
This site was visited 86,336 times between when the counter was put on
it at its first web-host site (August 29, 1998) and when it was
moved to PowWeb on March 25, 2002.
Since it's move, this site has had
visits by folks interested in ponds.
We thank you for your interest - Kathy Biggs
This site was moved to PowWeb because of their very attractive web packages.
They have a nice referral plan.
Click on the PowWeb image above to move your site there! Thanks!!