If you want to dig your own pond, here's how.

A pond should have sloped sides and ideally should be spoon-shaped with shallow, sloping walls. This allows easy access for the frogs and metamorphs (tadpoles turning into frogs) to get in and out of the pond. If using an old bath tub or other object, you should create a ramp from the pond to the ground or nearby tree by using sand, gravel, rocks, logs or tree branches.

• Remove any sharp objects and spread a thin layer of sand.

• Place a sheet of black plastic to line the pond and prevent water from escaping - you can buy this plastic from many pond product suppliers.

• Turn the edges of the plastic sheet up around the edge of the pond and anchor them with rocks.

• Add plenty of swamp plants in trays or pots in the shallowest region, and place a few potted aquatic plants and water lilies further down.

• Cover their soil with sand. The waterweeds will provide habitat for the tadpoles and baby fish to shelter in while they are small and vulnerable to predators.

• Fill the pond with tap water, but not from a metal tank, and let stand for at least a week before introducing frogs or fish. Any chlorine in the tap water will have dissolved by then.

Frogs are protected in some states by law. If frogs don't just move in of their own accord to your new froggy habitat, you might need a permit to introduce some - check with your state wildlife authority. Never introduce frogs from more than 20km away, as non-native frogs may upset the local species and you may inadvertently help spread the fungal disease. Transport frogs in a lightly inflated strong plastic bag with a few drops of water inside. Only transport one large frog per bag, or four small frogs per bag - never mix large and small frogs in one bag. Try not to handle the frog with your hands because their skins are very sensitive, but if you must handle the frog, wet your hands first and rinse them directly afterwards.

If you have tadpoles or immature frogs, transport them in jars with lots of water, preferably from where you found them. If there are no fish in your pond, then you can place them in the pond right away. If you do have fish in your pond, then wait until your tadpoles are at least 15mm long before releasing them, otherwise the fish will eat them.

Some types of frog-friendly fish, which also control mosquitoes, are Rainbow Fish (especially the Softspine Rainbow or Sunfish, Pacific Blue Eye, Dwarf or Red Line Jollytail or the White Cloud Mountains Minnow). Some people add local stream invertebrates such as backswimmers and damsel-fly larvae instead. Never place Goldfish or Mosquito Fish in your pond as they are poisonous to frogs or eat their tadpoles.

Important: Frogs are vanishing at an alarming rate.

Australian frogs, although not cuddly critters, enjoy a pretty high profile these days. But the reason for their fame is not because they're hopping about in large numbers in our backyards and forests. Instead, frogs are vanishing at an alarming rate, and this phenomenon has baffled scientists since we began to notice the slippery amphibians were disappearing in the early 1980s.

The loss of so many frogs places about 27 of Australia's 208 known frog species on the threatened species list. Seven of our frogs are already extinct. Most of these threatened frog species live in Eastern Australia. When species like frogs become threatened this is a sure sign that our biodiversity is also under threat, and that it's time to act to improve our environment.

Scientists don't know for sure why frogs are dying, although the recent discovery of a fungal disease spreading through many frog populations is now known as a major cause.

They also know that some human activities are unhealthy to frogs and their habitats. These activities include:

• draining wetlands to claim land, causing habitat destruction

• spraying insecticides on crops, especially aerial spraying from planes

• converting ponds to dams for sheep and cattle use, causing a loss of breeding sites

• introducing mosquito fish from overseas, which prey on frog eggs and tadpoles

• other upstream land use practices affecting water quality.

Other reasons why frogs are disappearing may include:

• global warming, due to the enhanced greenhouse effect

• ozone layer damage, causing frogs to be more exposed to ultra-violet radiation.

How can you help?

By keeping frogs in your garden. You can do this by building a garden pond in your backyard, which will be very attractive and attract frogs that will add interest to your gardening and also help control insects. But be patient! Frogs sometimes take up to two years to begin settling in your garden.