It goes without saying that the last Great War devastated species other than Homo sapiens.
It hit Dragons particularly hard, like the Dark Times on steroids. Some individuals joined in the anti-fascist efforts,
but most either hunkered down or, as a last resort, slipped into the netherworld until our human madness passed.
The world to which Dragons returned had changed, for better and worse. The "better" included an increased interest
in the enchantments and their denizens. Dragons were, quite simply, all the rage. But the post-war boom was putting a whole
new strain on the weyrs - less overtly violent, but destructive none the less. Dragons were the rising stars among
endangered species, losing habitat to developments, increased industrialization, and a flood of pollutants affecting
them from egg to maturity.
This is the environmental morass out of which the Dragon Conservancy emerged. In conjunction with WAFDE and other national and
international wildlife organizations, the Conservancy is the umbrella legal initiative dedicated to preserving Dragons and Dragon habitat for
present and future generations. Their legal teams negotiate sanctuary rights and boundaries. They also fight for environmental issues such as
bans on pesticide use, mining restrictions, and reforestation. They also spearhead the weyr censuses and are behind the Adopt-A-Dragon Program.
Dragons from the Willapa Hills Sanctuary
enjoying a little river time.
* Many will argue that it has not passed, simply been modernized and redirected.
The atomic age should give us all - Dragon, human, and star-nosed mole - pause.
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