Ruary Mackenzie Dodds is a prominent British conservationist, author, and one of Europe’s leading experts on dragonflies. He is best known for his lifelong dedication to dragonfly conservation, sparked by a chance encounter when a dragonfly landed on his shirt in 1985.
Life and Early Career
Education: He was educated at Gresham's School in Holt, Norfolk.
Corporate Career: Before his "epiphany" with dragonflies, he spent ten years working for Michelin, including two years as Company Secretary of a subsidiary.
Language Training: He spent eighteen years training foreign businesspeople to communicate effectively in English before shifting his focus entirely to nature.
Conservation Work
The Dragonfly Project: Along with his wife, Kari de Koenigswarter, he opened Europe’s first Dragonfly Sanctuary in 1991.
National Dragonfly Museum: In 1995, they founded the National Dragonfly Biomuseum in Ashton, Northamptonshire, which served as a major education and conservation hub.
Wicken Fen: His team was instrumental in establishing the Dragonfly Centre at the National Trust’s Wicken Fen in 2009.
Media and Outreach: He is a regular contributor to BBC programs like Springwatchand Countryfile. In 2010, he was officially awarded the "Dragonfly Geek" award by Springwatch.
Notable Published Works
Dodds is a versatile writer whose bibliography spans memoir, local history, and fiction:
The Dragonfly Diaries (2014): A memoir chronicling the challenges of establishing the first dragonfly sanctuary.
Dragonfly-Friendly Gardening (2024): A practical guide to creating habitats for dragonflies.
Local History: He authored Aberfeldy: The History of a Highland Community, reflecting his life in Scotland.
Fiction: He has written historical novels including Luc de Fontanac’s War and its sequel Luc’s War – Desert Gold, as well as the children's story Dorigen.
Dodds currently serves as a Dragonfly Ambassador for the British Dragonfly Societyand continues to give talks and conduct research, recently spending time in New Zealand.