K9 Conservationists is supporting research and monitoring efforts aimed at understanding and conserving coastal martens — a rare, forest-dependent carnivore found only in a few isolated populations along the coasts of northern California and Oregon. Once considered extinct, coastal martens have rebounded just enough to reveal how little is known about their distribution, habitat use, and dietary ecology, yet they remain vulnerable to habitat loss, wildfire, and fragmentation.

Recent work by Oregon State University and partners has used genetic sampling, cameras, and other non-invasive methods to map marten presence and better understand how habitat structure, elevation, and forest conditions influence population density. These data are essential for informing land management and conservation decisions that can support long-term resilience for this federally listed threatened species.

Scat detection by trained canine teams enhances these efforts by increasing the efficiency of sample collection across complex coastal terrain, improving opportunities for genetic and dietary analyses that help scientists clarify how martens use fragmented landscapes. By contributing high-quality biological samples, this work helps researchers assess population connectivity, diet composition, and habitat associations — knowledge that is critical to effective recovery planning and habitat protection in a region where martens have lost more than 90 % of their historical range.