About World Frog Day
For over a decade, World Frog Day existed without a website, organizing committee, or structured events. The day was not much more than people sharing images of frogs online and saying Happy World Frog Day!
The origins of World Frog Day are deeply connected to SAVE THE FROGS! and Save The Frogs Day (the world’s largest day of amphibian education and conservation action). Since 2008, SAVE THE FROGS! has led a global movement for amphibian conservation, organizing thousands of educational events and raising awareness about the threats frogs face worldwide.
As enthusiasm for World Frog Day grew, it became clear that a dedicated platform was needed. To ensure World Frog Day has a lasting impact, we created this website as a central source of information about World Frog Day and as a training ground for amphibian conservationists seeking real life web design experience. We welcome your input and participation in making World Frog Day a powerful force for amphibians worldwide!
Frog art created by SAVE THE FROGS! Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger in Dall-E.
The History Of World Frog Day
This historical timeline was compiled by SAVE THE FROGS! Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger, who meticulously searched through over 200,000 emails he has sent and received since founding SAVE THE FROGS! in 2008. Utilizing search tools such as Google and Perplexity, he also tracked down all publicly available online mentions of World Frog Day from its earliest origins—long before it became widely recognized nearly a decade after its inception. This timeline sheds light on the little-known history of World Frog Day and its deep connection to SAVE THE FROGS!’ global amphibian conservation efforts.
April 2009
April 26, 2009:
First Known Mention of World Frog Day
The earliest known mention of World Frog Day appears in an April 26, 2009 email exchange between Canadian SAVE THE FROGS! Volunteers Annette Tanner and David Wong as they organized events for the inaugural Save The Frogs Day, which took place worldwide on April 28, 2009.
Annette inadvertently referred to Save The Frogs Day as World Frog Day—much like calling Thanksgiving “Turkey Day.” While Save The Frogs Day was created by SAVE THE FROGS! as a global amphibian conservation initiative, World Frog Day emerged as a misnomer that later took on a life of its own. In reality, World Frog Day is not an independent creation but rather a direct byproduct of SAVE THE FROGS!’ conservation efforts!
Both Annette and David continued to support amphibian conservation by organizing multiple Save The Frogs Day events over the years. Their contributions include hosting Dr. Kerry Kriger’s 2009 presentation at Qualicum on Vancouver Island and securing an official Save The Frogs Day proclamation from Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson on April 28th, 2009.
March 2012
March 20, 2012:
First Known Public Website Mention of World Frog Day
The earliest known public mention of World Frog Day online appears in a blog post from The Public Postcard on March 20, 2012. The author, a German artist, created a watercolor painting of a frog in celebration of World Frog Day, while noting that it should not be confused with Save The Frogs Day on April 28th.
The blog post, tagged as Save The Frogs Day, provides no information about World Frog Day’s origins or purpose. However, it is significant as the first recorded instance of someone distinguishing it from Save The Frogs Day.
While Save The Frogs Day was already a well-established, global amphibian conservation initiative by this time, World Frog Day remained obscure, with no organized events or clear mission.
December 2014
December 14th, 2014:
First Email To SAVE THE FROGS! Specifically Regarding World Frog Day
The next noteworthy date in the history of World Frog Day is December 14th, 2014, the first time anyone emailed SAVE THE FROGS! regarding World Frog Day as an event distinct from Save The Frogs Day.
While Nepalese undergraduate agricultural science student Smriti Limbu had emailed SAVE THE FROGS! on April 10th, 2013 related to organizing a “world frog’s day” event for students and farmers, this was simply a misuse of the actual event she was referencing: Save The Frogs Day.
The December 2014 email, however, was different. It came from author Arnold Rudnick, who was seeking promotional assistance for his book “Little Green”. Arnold was curious if Save The Frogs Day was part of American Frog Day and if SAVE THE FROGS! had ever coordinated with World Frog Day, which he noted would be on March 20, 2015. This was the first time in six and a half years that Dr. Kriger had heard the name World Frog Day used!
In response, Dr. Kriger clarified the distinctions between the various amphibian-related days, writing:
“Save The Frogs Day is distinct from World Frog Day and American Frog Day. I am not familiar with World Frog Day. American Frog Day focuses on captive amphibians, whereas Save The Frogs Day focuses on public education and protecting wild populations.”
March 2015
March 20, 2015: First Known Environmental Organization Recognition of World Frog Day
On March 20, 2015, Rainforest Trust became the first known environmental organization to acknowledge World Frog Day. They published a 30-second video to YouTube titled World Frog Day. The video simply displayed images of frogs with the phrase “World Frog Day.”
While SAVE THE FROGS! had been actively leading amphibian conservation efforts through Save The Frogs Day since 2009, and a multitude of environmental organizations had taken part in Save The Frogs Day events, this marked the first time another conservation organization publicly engaged with World Frog Day. However, there was still no structure, mission, or organized events surrounding the day — it remained exclusively an online occurrence where people shared images of frogs without any direct conservation action.
March 2016
March 20, 2016: First Mention of World Frog Day on an Environmental Organization’s Website
On March 20, 2016, Jane Goodall’s website published an article titled “World Frog Day: A Story About Saving One of the World’s Rarest”. This marks the first known mention of World Frog Day on the website of a major environmental organization.
The article was introduced as being “in honor of today’s World Frog Day,” but notably, the day itself was not discussed anywhere in the piece. Instead, it focused on amphibian conservation and the work of the late, great amphibian biologist Phil Bishop of New Zealand — whose presentations to the SAVE THE FROGS! community can be watched in the SAVE THE FROGS! Academy New Zealand course.
At this point, World Frog Day remained an informal occasion, lacking structured events, an official website, or a clear conservation mission. It continued to be a loosely recognized date, primarily referenced online without direct action tied to it.
March 2017
March 20, 2017: The First Known World Frog Day Event & Electronic Newsletter Announcement
On March 20, 2017, SAVE THE FROGS! sent out the first known electronic newsletter recognizing World Frog Day, reaching thousands of subscribers. Written by SAVE THE FROGS! International Campaigns Coordinator Michael Starkey, the newsletter introduced World Frog Day to thousands of SAVE THE FROGS! supporters and encouraged action for amphibian conservation.
In the announcement, Michael emphasized the urgent threats facing frogs worldwide and highlighted Save The Frogs Day, the world’s largest day of amphibian education and conservation action. Readers were encouraged to:
✅ Organize a Save The Frogs Day event
✅ Support conservation efforts by purchasing an official Save The Frogs Day t-shirt
✅ Join a SAVE THE FROGS! Facebook Live event in celebration of World Frog Day
The First Known World Frog Day Event: A Facebook Live Discussion
As part of the celebration, Michael Starkey hosted a live discussion on the SAVE THE FROGS! Facebook Page, inviting supporters to join an informal conversation about frogs, amphibian conservation, and the work of SAVE THE FROGS!. This is the earliest known World Frog Day event, providing a platform for community engagement and education.
California Wildlife Day & The California Red-Legged Frog
The newsletter also recognized the inaugural California Wildlife Day, which coincided with World Frog Day, and celebrated the California Red-Legged Frog (Rana draytonii) as the state’s official amphibian—a designation SAVE THE FROGS! successfully campaigned for in 2014.
This newsletter marked a major milestone in World Frog Day’s history, as it was the first widely broadcast email announcement, reaching thousands of subscribers, helping to bring greater awareness and structure to the day’s celebration.
This photo of Michael Starkey with the staff of the Belize Zoo was included in the SAVE THE FROGS! newsletter announcing World Frog Day 2017 (the start of the newsletter is shown below).
This timeline will continue to be updated as more historical records are uncovered. If you have early references to World Frog Day, feel free to share them with SAVE THE FROGS!.
Other Amphibious Events
Please check out our Save The Frogs Day webpage and the Amphibian Week website.