Communications, Travel, and Conservation with Brooke Mitchell-Norman

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Brooke Mitchell-Norman. They talk about tourism, communication, education, and how all of that relates to conservation! Episode suggestion: Don’t sacrifice what you want now for what you want most of all. Call to action: Support a local small business that donates …

The Great Big Data Nerdfest with Dr. Charles van Rees (Pt. 2)

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Charles Van Rees about data. They discuss the ins and outs of working with data and how to turn data into information scientists can use.Episode suggestion: Take the time to see, smell, and notice things outside! Call to action: Check …

The Great Big Data Nerdfest with Dr. Charles van Rees (Pt. 1)

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Charles Van Rees about data. They discuss the ins and outs of working with data and how to turn data into information scientists can use.Episode suggestion: Take the time to see, smell, and notice things outside! Call to action: Check …

When Your Dogs are Your Coworkers – And Work is Hard

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla and Marissa Martino get personal discussing the woes of conservation work when handling your emotions while working! They discuss ways to balance how you’re feeling while trying to make the job as positive as possible for your K9 partner. Episode suggestion: Just train …

Selecting a Conservation Detection Dog

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla Fratt talks about considerations when choosing a conservation detection dog, sourcing a dog, and screening a dog. Episode suggestion: “Don’t sacrifice clarity at the altar of generosity” Call to action: Join Patreon!  Discussed in this Podcast: Considerations: Make a list of your must …

Off-Leash Etiquette and Ethics

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla Fratt talks about off-leash etiquette in order to keep your dogs, yourself, others, and the environment safe. Discussed in this Podcast: Off leash is a privilege and owners carry a responsibility when utilizing that privilege  Ensure your dog has solid recall, especially around …

Too Much “Structure” Compromises Your Working Dog’s Welfare

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla discusses the structure and welfare of a conservation detection dog! This episode is heavily inspired by Sarah Stremming’s Cog Dog Radio Podcast Episode titled “Drive, Deprivation, and Desperation”.  Be careful to not label desperation or deprivation as drive Limited your dogs access to …

Working with a Teenage Detection Dog

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla discusses what it is like working with a teenage dog and gives tips and tricks to get your young dog in the world of conservation work. Start small. Niffler searches in small plots, each search only commencing around 15 minutes at a time.  …

A Day in the Life of a Conservation Detection Dog Handler

In this episode, we discuss a day in the life of a conservation detection dog handler on a variety of projects that Kayla has worked on. We cover the daily schedule for projects ranging from wind farm work to jaguar surveys in Costa Rica. As always, you can join our …

Midseason Musings: 2021 Summer Update

We are halfway through our season of finding dead bats on wind farms. This work will help biologists understand trends in how the turbines affect bats, particularly during migration. I am handling Niffler for his first season as a K9 Conservationist, while Rachel Hamre handles Barley at another field site. …