Media
Pilot Study for the Use of Scent-Detection Dogs in Surveys for the Endangered Pima Pineapple Cactus
Prepared for: Arizona Department of Agriculture Deborah Atkinson 1688 W. Adams Street Phoenix, AZ 85007 Prepared by: H. T. Harvey & Associates H. T. Harvey & Associates conducted a study to assess the efficacy of using ecological scent-detection dogs to…
Arizona Highways magazine: 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…
LAist article: How Dogs are Saving the Earth
By Fiona Ng Published Aug 17, 2024 9:00 PM HOW DOGS ARE SAVING THE EARTH Lauralea Oliver has worked with dogs for most of her life. She grew up with a German Shepherd as a pet, was a dog trainer for many…
SFGate article: These adorable dogs are fighting California plant poachers
From desert cactus to endangered 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…
National Park Service article: Biologists Enlist Best Noses in Town to Protect At-risk Turtles
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore, Presidio of San Francisco By Wildlife Biologist Katie Smith, Golden Gate National Recreation Area; and Science Communication Specialist Jessica Weinberg McClosky, San Francisco Bay Area Inventory & Monitoring Network May 2024…
Desert Botanical Garden, Garden Blog: 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…
Center for Plant Conservation: 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…