Welcome to the Biggs' Wildlife Ponds
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Learn about our wildlife pond in Sebastopol, CA and our off-the-grid pond in McCloud, CA
in its 8th year, April 2004 |
in its 8th year, April 2014 |
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 almost all native plants.
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.
Watch an HOUR long Presentation that Kathy gave in 2013 to the Saratoga CNPS club on
Building Ponds for Wildlife
on YouTube: YouTube Presentation
We had a gorgeous mantled Black Bear come swim/bathe in our Mt. Shasta pond.
Pleasures of Wildlife Ponding.
List of steps to Build a
Pond for Wildlife
List of (mostly) North American Native 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. 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.
Build a Pond for Wildlife eBook
Our Sebastopol, California Pond's Development and growth, from most current in time backwards to its formation:
Our McCloud, California Pond on the southeast side of Mt. Shasta
We put a one minute video up of his visit on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz4Rs6dTRFc&feature=youtu.be
List & Photos of our Pond's Wildlife Visitors/Residents!
One of our greatest pleasures is watching & documenting them!
This eBook explains the philosophy and techniques for creating a pond that will be attractive to wildlife,
and how this differs from building a pond for exotic koi or tropical lilies.
Click here for more information (Amazon.com)
by Kathy Biggs
UPDATED 2019
Get your FREE Kindle app here (Can be used on iPhone, Windows PC, Mac, iPad, Android, etc.) .
Use your back button to return to this website.
2018 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 23rd year
2017 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 22nd year
2016 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 21st year
2015 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 20th year
2014 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 19th year
2013 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 18th year
2012 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 17th year
2011 - Catastrophe on Xmas Eve!!
2011 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 16th year
2010 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 15th year
2009 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 14th year
2008 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 13th year
2007 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 12th year
2006 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 11th year
2005 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 10th year
2004 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 9th year
2003 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 8th year
The Pond becomes 'famous' - June 2003 with photos and a mention in
National Audubon Magazine!
A Liquid Noah's Ark - by Tim Matson
Spring 2002 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 7th year
2002 started out with SNOW!
2001 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 6th year
Our new guest greeter: the front walkway wash tub pond!
The wildlife pond entered the new century:
Year 2000 [aka Y2K] - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 5th year
1999 - Our Sebastopol Bigsnest Pond's 4th year
1998 - 3rd year maturation.
1997 - 2nd year maturation
View our pond's development during its 1st year - 1996
We just couldn't live without a pond, even at our retirement home we're still building!
This pond is TOTALLY OFF THE GRID....and we only visit it approx. once a month for a one week.
Our Shasta Pond's Wildlife Visitors: list & photo links
2016 - Our Shasta Pond, year 10
2015 - Our Shasta Pond, year 9
2014 - Our Shasta Pond, year 8
2013 - Our Shasta Pond, year 7
2012 - Our Shasta Pond, year 6
2011 - Our Shasta Pond, year 5
2010 - Our Shasta Pond, year 4
2009 - Our Shasta Pond, year 3
2008 - Our Shasta Pond, year 2
2005/2006/2007 How our NEW Mt. Shasta (McCloud) pond got started!
Learn how to attract wildlife to your home. This book includes a full chapter on Ponds for Wildlife, featuring the Bigsnest Pond.
The California Wildlife Habitat Garden: How to Attract Bees, Butterflies, Birds, and Other Animals [Paperback]
Nancy Bauer (Author)
Click on this link for more information &/or to buy:
California Wildlife Habitat Garden
Read
Nancy's Wildlife Gardening Blog
This site is 100% privately maintained.
If you've found it helpful,
a donation to help keep it on the web would be appreciated,
thanks! K. Biggs
Use this link to share this site on Facebook
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Below are links to the CA & SW Dragonflies websites I've built & also links
that go to my books, INCLUDING OUR NEW COLORING BOOK and some other books that we now sell:
This will take you to our
California Dragonflies Site with links to pictures for identifying all of California's
damselflies and dragonflies and
this link will take you to our
Southwest Dragonflies Site with links to pictures for identifying all the
damselflies and dragonflies that are known to occur in California, Nevada, Utah,
Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
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
SORRY - OUT OF PRINT
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
now Available
by Kathy Biggs
June 2015
Includes all the species found in California
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
SORRY - OUT OF PRINT
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
Dragonflies of California and the Greater Southwest: A Beginner’s Guide (2017b eBook) : Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah Kindle Edition
Lightweight! Take it with you on your phone, tablet or Kindle.
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
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 is averaging 150 unique
visitors per week by folks interested in ponds.
We thank you for your interest - Kathy Biggs email Kathy
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!!