Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Saving Arizona's Rarest Orchid: The Canelo Hills Ladies' Tresses
Uncommon Scents
For decades, search dogs have been used to sniff out narcotics and explosives and help find victims of earthquakes and floods. Now, they’re being used for conservation, searching for things such as salamanders, orchids and rare plants in Northern Arizona.…
These adorable dogs are fighting California plant poachers
From desert cactus to endgangered orchids, these dogs do it all By James Bartlett Aug 12, 2024 The mission took place in the early morning on a vast private ranch in Williams, Arizona, and the operatives were excited and ready.…
THE TEAM SNIFFING OUT ENDANGERED PLANTS
BY GARDEN BLOG | JUL 15, 2024 | HORTICULTURE, RESEARCH In 2022, Desert Botanical Garden introduced a pair of scientists with paws who are helping researchers with a major conservation project that involves endangered Southwestern plants. Circe and Muon…
Man’s Best Friend Helps Find Elusive Endangered Orchid
Dogs are known for their powerful olfactory senses and have been used by humans over the years to detect objects from drugs to electronics to truffles. This sensory superpower makes them the star of a captivating project at Desert Botanical…
Research Canines Are Helping the Garden Find These Rare and Endangered Arizona Orchids
BY GARDEN BLOG | SEP 16, 2022 | HORTICULTURE Meet Circe and Muon! They are two specially-trained dogs used in ecological research who are helping Desert Botanical Garden, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the Smithsonian find rare and endangered orchids growing in southern Arizona. The…
