Dogs Working in Nature Conservation

Join us as Laura Holder, the Executive Director of Conservation Dogs Collective, and her dogs, Ernie and Betty White, discuss and then demonstrate how the dogs locate bumble bee nests to assist researchers studying habitat preferences and colony behavior, and ideally to locate the federally endangered Rusty Patched bumble bee.  

Learn more about Conservation Dogs Collective here: conservationdogscollective.org

There will be a 20-30 minute presentation by Laura about Conservation Dogs Collective, followed by a quick Q&A and then a demonstration of the “Finders” (dogs) in action. Following we will assemble solitary bee houses for you to use to help some of the pollinators in your own yard. We will also provide an educational take home packet so you can continue to learn and support conservation in your own yard, as well as supporting conservation in our wider communities. Proceeds from this event will be donated to Conservation Dogs Collective. This is a ticketed event. You must purchase tickets prior to the event to ensure a space at the event. 

About the organization:

Conservation Dogs Collective (CDCI) works alongside dogs, leveraging the power of scent detection to improve our planet's health. CDCI's Finder-Keeper (dog-handler) teams protect endangered species, combat invasive species, locate elusive species, and help build community everywhere we go. The superhero sniffing powers of our Finders aid researchers, scientists, universities, and land managers in efforts to advance conservation, one wet nose at a time. CDCI is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

About the presenter:

Laura Holder, CPDT-KA, CNWI

Laura is the Executive Director of Conservation Dogs Collective, a nonprofit that trains and deploys their Finders (dogs!) to locate endangered, invasive, and cryptic species to help better the health of our planet. Laura's heart is owned by her two Labrador Retrievers, Ernie & Betty White, who work alongside her for Conservation Dogs Collective programs. She thoroughly enjoys all aspects of sharing her life with dogs, both at home and in the field, and is passionate about education and sharing her knowledge with other dog lovers.