THE DRAGON CONSERVATION PROJECT –
UNITED FOR REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS
Our Work in the Field
The children we visit in the mountain villages of Mexico grow up surrounded by reptiles — right outside their homes. Yet most of them don’t know which species are harmless, which can be dangerous, or what vital role these animals play in their ecosystem.
Where knowledge is missing, fear takes its place.
And fear often leads to snakes and lizards being killed — including many harmless, rare, or even endangered species.
This is where our work begins.
With live lizards and snakes, clear explanations, and age-appropriate learning materials, we show children which reptiles require caution, which do not — and how to approach all of them with respect.
Because understanding is the foundation of conservation.
We also teach the essential ecological role of reptiles.
As natural controllers of insect and rodent populations, they make a crucial contribution to rural communities — where crop loss and disease can have serious consequences.
Our school visits are far more than lessons.
They are real encounters with the Dragoncitos we love — moments in which children learn, with respect and curiosity, how to protect the nature and biodiversity of their home.
And it makes a difference.
Again and again, we witness how initial fear transforms into genuine interest — and how knowledge leads to mindful behavior.
This protects not only the animals, but also the people who share their land with them.
Dragons Need Friends
The dragons of our world — reptiles like lizards, snakes, and turtles — are under threat across the globe.
In Mexico, one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, many species are disappearing quietly and unnoticed.
As The Dragon Conservation Project, we bring children and reptiles together.
We share our fascination for these remarkable animals with children in remote, low-income mountain regions of Mexico.
We introduce them to live lizards and snakes, explain their ecological importance —
and show why these living “mini-dinosaurs” are far more exciting than any plastic toy.
Through these encounters, respect grows.
Knowledge grows.
Affection grows.
And with them, a new awareness of the incredible biodiversity that begins right outside the children’s homes.
Curious children become young conservationists — right where biodiversity is richest, and also most at risk.
Why Mexico?
Biodiversity on our planet is not evenly distributed.
Instead, it is concentrated in what scientists call biodiversity hotspots — regions that host an extraordinary number of species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Mexico is one of these hotspots.
It is among the most species-rich countries in the world — especially when it comes to reptiles.
While Germany has only 15 native reptile species, Mexico is home to more than 1,000 species of snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles.
This means that around one in every ten reptile species on our planet lives in Mexico.
Share What You Love — Help Kids Discover the Fascination of Reptiles
​
Every one of us — whether conservationists, nature lovers, animal advocates, or reptile keepers — can remember the moments that drew us toward reptiles
Maybe it was watching Steve Irwin’s unstoppable passion for reptiles, or hearing David Attenborough describe a creature you had never noticed before.
Maybe it was the first time a biology teacher let you look closely at a shed skin, or a keeper at a zoo or aquarium who showed you a snake up close.
Maybe it was a wild encounter — a lizard darting across a sunlit rock, a snake in the garden, a turtle crossing a trail.
Or maybe it was your first experience in herpetoculture: the first terrarium you set up, the first gecko you held, the first clutch of eggs you ever saw hatch.
Whatever sparked your fascination, it changed something in you.
It opened a door to curiosity, respect, and wonder — the kind of spark that stays for life.
Help us become that spark in the life of a child.
​
How You Can Help
A school visit with live reptiles costs around $120.
With a monthly gift of $20, you make two of these encounters possible each year.
Whether you keep reptiles yourself, love nature, or want to protect biodiversity —
your support brings education, respect, and conservation directly to the places where they are needed most.