From the Emerald Ash Borer to Zebra Mussels, Oregon is no stranger to invasive species. The state has a management plan in place that aims to detect invasive species early on, educate the public and prevent their entry into Oregon to begin with. But there are other tools that government agencies and researchers use around the world: dogs. Conservation dogs are trained canines that help locate invasive and endangered species, as well as playing a role in data collection for research. Jennifer Hartman and Heath Smith are co-founders of Rogue Detection Dogs. They both join us to share more on what makes a good conservation dog and how they got into this work to begin with.

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/04/21/how-some-dogs-are-trained-to-find-native-and-invasive-wildlife/