Welcome to the Biggs' Wildlife 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.

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 List & Photos of our Pond's Wildlife Visitors/Residents! One of our greatest pleasures is watching & documenting them! 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. Here is a link to an article I wrote on 'Wildlife-Friendly Pond Cleaning' for the Internet Ponder [on line pond magazine] in March of '97 Build a Pond for Wildlife eBook 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 NEW! May 2012 Get your FREE Kindle app here (Can be used on iPhone, Windows PC, Mac, BlackBerry, iPad, Android, Windows Phone 7, etc.) . Use your back button to return to this website. Build a Pond for Wildlife CD Click here for more information by Kathy Biggs NEW! March 2012 - NEW! NOW Available - Spring 2012 - Dragonflies of California and the Greater Southwest A Beginner's Guide by Kathy Biggs - MARCH 2012 Get your FREE Kindle app here (Can be used on iPhone, Windows PC, Mac, BlackBerry, iPad, Android, Windows Phone 7, etc.) . Use your back button to return to this website.

Our Sebastopol, California Pond's Development and growth, from most current in time backwards to its formation: 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 Our McCloud, California Pond on the southeast side of Mt. Shasta We just couldn't live without a pond, even at our retirement home we're still building! Our Shasta Pond's Wildlife Visitors: list & photo links . 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!

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
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: Dragonflies and Damselflies 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

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