Frog Pond Classroom

The frog pond is another amazing feature of Summit Environmental. Come enjoy a piece of nature with all five senses in this outdoor learning classroom no matter the season. In the warmer months, you'll be able to spot a multitude of turtles, birds, insects, and yes, FROGS! In the Spring when the pond is filled to the brim with snow melt, a floating dock is put in place for a closer look into the biosystem of the pond.

A little about the Frog Pond's history...

This land was donated in 1980 by a local construction company. Since then, it has had its fair share of good times as well as drama. In 1988 some students proposed a Frog Pond cleanup, then added signs to prevent dumping. They were successful and gained national recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency. Summit teacher Margaret Donner's class of 20 students got the chance to go to Washington D.C. to be honored by President Ronald Reagan with fundraising assistance by the Summit PTA. In the late 80's the trailer park was built next to the Frog Pond amongst much controversy. After the young students left the town board meeting that night, the board decided to deny the students' hopes to create a recreational park and approved the request to build the trailer park. The developer promised to keep a forty foot wide strip of land as a buffer between the park and the border of the pond. However, there was local backlash to the decision and a petition was created to get the decision reversed. The children were actually somewhat backing the developer because some had seen his prior work and had liked what they saw. Townsfolk were not as thrilled. However, despite the opposition, the trailer park was put in. In 2006, a new resident of French Island saw the condition of the pond and decided to organize a cleanup with the help of the local AmeriCorps. They pulled out old paint cans, concrete slabs, and lots of other junk, in an effort to restore the pond to its former beauty. Since then, Summit has become Summit Environmental School, and alumni Logan Miller has installed an observation deck as an Eagle Scout Project. The Frog Pond has become a vital outdoor classroom area for all students at Summit, and we hope that it will remain vibrant and go on to inspire many young environmentalists for years to come. (Credit: Christopher Donahue)