Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Field Notes (K9C Blog Posts)”
Working as a conservation detection dog trainer/handler is an incredible lifestyle for the right person. It’s not for everyone – the hours are long, the fieldwork is physically demanding, and the grantwriting can be grueling. But one of the biggest challenges of “making it” as a conservation dog handler is …
Not All Days are Good Days I wake up nervous, having barely slept. Today is our first day at the wind farm since October 2021. I’m partially excited to handle Barley again, and partially nervous that Niffler won’t be as brilliant as I remember. He is still very young (21 …
Where Was Called to the Wild Filmed? Filming took place in the northwoods of Maine. How Were Contestants Selected? Contestants had to compile video applications to send to casting producers. They were then vetted on survival skills, psychological health, and had to pass a background check. Dogs and humans had …
My breath clouded around my face in the cold air as I paused outside the Missoula airport. I paused to put my mask on and readjusted my backpack before leading Barley into the airport. Barley was happy and confident, unaware of what we were in for. Pre-pandemic, we traveled all …
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 …
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. …
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 …
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. …
One of the hardest parts about being a conservation detection doh handler is the travel. It’s not unusual for me to spend months on the road, living out of hotels and cooking on camp stoves in the parking lot. I may only have a few days at home to do …
Here at K9 Conservationists, we’re not just obsessed with training conservation detection dogs. We’re passionate about all the ways that dog lovers (and their dogs) can help protect the planet. Earth Day is about so much more than simple trash pickups or planting a few trees. Its roots lie in …