History of the Dragon Conservation Society
The Dragon Conservation Society was founded in 1890 by Miss. Miriam Taylor of Falmouth Cornwall, the first Dragonologist to be recognised by the Society for the Protection of Birds.
In the 1800’s, dragon sightings were often mistaken for large birds of prey. However, after Miss. Taylor successfully photographed a Dragon in 1888, the S.P.B concluded that these large birds were in fact Dragons.
The S.P.B. awarded Miss Taylor the Dragon Conservation Society charter with the sole aim of protecting these elusive, beautiful creatures.
Miriam Taylor was not only a pioneer in Dragon identification and research but she was also at the fore-front for the preservation of the rare and unique habitats that the Dragons lived in.
Throughout her lifetime, Miss Taylor was responsible for the identification and classification of over seventy species of Dragon.
She dedicated her life to the sometimes solitary and often dangerous task of investigating Dragon sightings throughout the British Isles.
The Dragon Conservation Societies activities were scaled down during the 2nd World War and after Miss. Taylor’s death in 1945, the D.C.S. ceased its activities altogether and the society’s work fell out of the public eye.
Today
Today the work of Miriam Taylor is widely celebrated and her conservation ethos continues through the work of the current D.C.S. members in Cornwall, the Cotswolds and beyond.
The Society enjoyed a resurgence in the late 1990’s with new Dragon sightings throughout the British Isles. Pockets of Dragon conservation were once again being undertaken by small groups of kind and brave volunteers, focused on the conservation of natural Dragon habitats.
Their efforts have not only helped the different species of dragon, but they have also had a beneficial impact on the flora and fauna and biodiversity within the Dragon habitats.
The life works of Miriam Taylor is celebrated in the Museum of Dragon Artefacts located at Enys Gardens Cornwall. Recent renovations of the barns and clocktower have revealed a collection of specimens, photographs and artefacts. These items are now proudly displayed in the barns at Enys Gardens for local volunteers to learn even more about these elusive and magical creatures.
The future
We would like to remind all of today’s volunteers at the Society of the importance of following D.C.S. safety guidelines as they explore the trails.
You are entering Dragon territory,
- Be alert at all times.
- Do not touch the Dragon eggs.
- Do not feed the Dragons.
- Take nothing but photographs (please tag #dragoneggtrails In any social media.
- Leave nothing but footprints.
Polite reminder: dispose of your rubbish in trash and recycling. Whilst Dragons thrive on their own specific diets, they are developing a taste for chocolate and their wrappers, which are not doing their digestive tracts any good at all.
With Love
Dragon Conservation Society U.K