The Cockroach and the Frog

Senior Toastmasters would likely know about the speeches I've delivered that were inspired by the cockroach. In fact, one such speech qualified me for the District 51-level International Speech Contest at Kuala Terengganu in Terengganu, Malaysia in 2014. 

To a lesser but not insignificant degree, I've also presented speeches centered around the frog. 

These speeches, if you must know, were made during my Toastmasters heyday, between 2014-2019. [You can explore my personal odyssey in the blog post "Thank You, Toastmasters", published April 01, 2020]. 

The idea behind this post came up because today, March 20 is World Frog Day. 

[Regrettably, I had missed commemorating World Cockroach Day. I had a valid excuse. I was busy with World Speech Day 2026 Kuala Lumpur which was held on March 15. 

And World Cockroach Day is observed annually a day earlier. March 14. Initiated by researchers and enthusiasts, this day aims to educate the public on the ecological importance of cockroaches – which have existed for over 300 million years – and to highlight that only a small fraction of species are considered household pests.

FYI, March 14 was chosen to honor the birthday of Louis M Roth (1918–2003), a pioneering entomologist who contributed significantly to the scientific understanding of cockroaches]. 

Frogs may go largely unnoticed in our daily lives, but they are constantly at work behind the scenes – helping to control pests, recycle nutrients, and keep ecosystems in balance throughout the year.

Frogs and toads (Order: Anura) have inhabited Earth for hundreds of millions of years, but 40% of amphibian species are now at risk of extinction, according to the latest conservation assessments. 

Every year, roughly 150 new amphibian species are described. But many are immediately listed as threatened or endangered due to habitat loss, disease and climate change. 

“Some species may not even get named before they go extinct”, biologist Zeeshan Mirza told Mongabay in December 2025.