As families transition back to remote and in-person school, many will be looking for safe, socially-distanced outdoor activities that reinforce the science, art and history concepts they are learning in their classes.

The new 16 Frogs “FrogFinder” guide is a beautifully designed paper map that highlights all the frogs’ locations, names, and history.  The maps are free and are available at the SEEDS/Price House Nature Center, the Blacksburg Library, the Alexander Black House, and select local shops around town. 

The 16 bronze frogs, created by local artist Christine Kosiba, were installed in 2016.  The frogs represent a native green frog (Lithobates clamitans), and are placed strategically around downtown Blacksburg and the surrounding area.  The frogs call attention to the freshwater streams and springs under and around streets and buildings.

Each frog is named to honor an important figure or feature of Blacksburg’s history: from the original 16 Squares that formed the original footprint of the Town, to the first landowner in the area, to a location marking the Eastern Continental divide, to the founder of the college that later became Virginia Tech.

The FrogFinder campaign seeks to celebrate pieces of Blacksburg’s little-known history while increasing public awareness of the things we can do individually and collectively to restore the health of Stroubles Creek, the broader watershed, and the water quality of downstream communities. 

The 16 Frogs “FrogFinder” guide was made possible with generous support from the Susan Garrison Fund of the Community Foundation of the New River Valley, and was designed in collaboration with FourDesign, the student-run design studio in the School of Visual Arts at Virginia Tech.

For more information, visit 16frogs.org or @16Frogs on Facebook.

16 Frogs “FrogFinder” guide (pdf)