Join Julianne Ugibau and her partner Jasper (a Labrador retriever) for a fascinating talk on the training and use of scat detection dogs for wildlife research. These highly trained “Conservation Canines” assist wildlife biologists in detecting a diverse range of species, including insects, amphibians, carnivores, and even whales. As part of a new program with the University of Washington’s Center for Environmental Forensic Science, they’re also helping scientists examine DNA, hormones, and toxin levels in a variety of threatened and endangered species through scent detection.

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. To get the login details, please register here. Closed captioning will be available. For more information, contact Susie Spikol.

This event will be recorded. To ensure access to the recording, please register for this event, even if you cannot attend live.

Speaker Bio: Julianne Ubigau has been a handler with the Conservation Canines program since November 2006. She and her canine cohort, Sampson, worked together on various projects throughout North America from 2008 to 2018, including locating wildlife scat of species ranging from the tiny Pacific pocket mouse to the giant grizzly bear. In 2016, Sampson and Julianne began working on a pilot PCB study with Seattle Public Utilities, where Sampson demonstrated that dogs can reliably detect PCBs at concentrations as low as 100 parts per billion. Today Julianne continues her research with Sampson’s successor, Jasper, a 5-year-old Labrador retriever who was rescued by the local animal shelter in April 2019. He is currently trained to detect a variety of scents, including wildlife scat (wolf, cougar, bobcat, fisher, marten, wolverine, coyote), plants (false brome, garlic mustard), amphibian eggs, and pollutants. Diversified and highly experienced as a dog-handler team, Jasper and Julianne specialize in pilot studies that push the boundaries of traditional canine detection work and conservation research. When not in the field, you can find them in the classroom, sharing their science with the community.