His theoretical work on social change, SEED-SCALE, mentioned above by McKibben, was launched by then
UNICEF Executive Director
James P. Grant, resulted in a first major publication in 1995, a second in 2002, a third in 2012.), and a fourth in 2016 The basic concept is that ‘seeds’ of human success exist in every community, even those considered destitute, and from these seeds fitted to local culture, resources, and ecology can be ‘scaled up’ grown both a rising quality of life and also extension out toward equitable improvement for all. In education, Taylor explored experiential education during his twenty years leading
The Mountain Institute. With Future Generations University an accredited master's degree was started now extending to 40 countries. In conservation, Taylor pioneered a method for
community-based conservation that protects areas first by using political boundaries then within environmental criteria creating management zones. It is less costly, less confrontational and fits within the
World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In the US, he integrated private land with public lands near
Spruce Knob the summit of
West Virginia. With the Green Long March in China, an environmental educational consortium was created with 50 Chinese universities. Larger impact of his Tibetan conservation work is described in Across the Tibetan Plateau, a book published in English, Chinese, Tibetan languages, and with a Foreword by Jimmy Carter. In the
Himalaya, his conservation initiatives include trans-border conservation between
China and
Nepal with a seven million acre initiative around
Mount Everest in Nepal the (
Makalu-Barun National Park and adjoining in Tibet/China
Qomolangma national nature preserve. In eastern
Tibet Autonomous Region, he and co-worker Chun-Wuei Su Chien led in establishing the
Lalu Wetlands National Nature Preserve in Lhasa, at 1,600 acres. This protected wetlands is now a region completely surrounded by Lhasa City. Additionally, he led in setting up a range of community conservation initiatives in
Arunachal Pradesh, India. For the mysterious
Yeti tracks in Himalayan snows, after three decades of field research he showed by replicating enigmatic snow footprints with overprints by a tranquilized bear that ‘the abominable snowman’ was the
Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus).This can make an overprint of hind paw onto front creating a human-looking, bipedal-like snowprint. In 2016, Taylor published an analysis of all Yeti literature. This book from Oxford University Press explained the iconic Yeti footprint photographed by
Eric Shipton in 1950. To complete this explanation, Taylor also located a never-before published photograph of that print that included proof of bear nail marks. In 1972, he co-founded The Woodlands Institute (experiential education) that evolved into
The Mountain Institute (mountain people and environments)In 1980, he co-founded Pendleton Community Care (comprehensive U.S. rural primary health care) In 1989 he founded the Tibetan KyiApso Club (to introduce this large shaggy dog from the Tibetan Plateau). This organization has subsequently closed. From 1992–2012, he launched the Future Generations family of nine autonomous but mutually supportive organizations worldwide whose shared purpose is to research, demonstrate, and teach how to mobilize social change. Future Generations USA/China/Arunachal/India/Peru/Afghanistan/Canada/Haiti/Graduate School In 2016, he launched Experience Learning, an experiential education organization in Pendleton County with two campuses. ==Books published==