Play is an essential part of the training process to keep trainees like Peat motivated to work. Peat is a six-month old Labrador retriever working along side New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Conservation Dogs program manager, Arden Blumenthal.
The efficiency of conservation dogs means they are able to find targets faster and in hard to spot places better than human searchers alone.
Spotted Lanternfly has been creeping into New York since their unintentional introduction to the US in a stone shipment from overseas. These specimen are in the third and forth instar phases of development.
Public awareness is a crucial part of invasive species management.
Transitioning from one species to another includes planting the scent of the next target species in a site and reimprinting them with a mock search. Here, Dia has caught on to the odor and is pointing it out to her handlers.
Spotted lanternflies are not only difficult to spot, but they are expert jumpers evading danger by springing into the air.
Shipping vehicles become free rides for spotted lanternflies and this box truck backed up to a patch of trees offers an obvious example of why this truck stop has fallen victim to the invasion.
Spotted Lanternflies are removes from a young tree of heaven at a truck stop in Southern New York.
Dia rests in the shade after a successful day of work.
The dogs are eager to work, not even stopping to allow the humans to discuss their search plan.
Arden marks Chinese bushclover in an overgrown field on Iona Island.
Scotchbroom removed from a site in Harriman State Park.
Trainer and handler, Joshua Beese inspects Dia for ticks and injuries at the end of a shift.
The dogs take a day off searching in the field to work on learning a new target odor.
Peat takes the lead working a hillside for invasive scotchbroom.
After months of training, Peat joins the ranks of professional detection dog with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Conservation Dogs Program.
