AWOOOO: Watch Our New Volunteer Dog Surveyor Program Video!
We’re paws-itively delighted to share our brand-new video for the Volunteer Dog Surveyor Program, introducing you to the passionate people and pups who help protect our public trails and native habitats!
What Is the Volunteer Dog Surveyor Program?
Simply put, it’s a way to make outdoor adventures with your dog even more meaningful.
Through the program, volunteers learn how to transform hikes with their dogs into impactful conservation work by harnessing the extraordinary olfactory power of a dog’s nose. With expert guidance from the Trail Conference’s Conservation Dogs Program team, volunteers learn to train their pups to sniff out invasive plants that threaten native habitats and conduct on-leash trail surveys that support forest health.
No prior dog-training experience needed—just a love for the outdoors and an adventurous, sniff-loving canine by your side. We provide the detailed curriculum, step-by-step instruction, and in-person workshops to help you and your pup thrive. Once trained, you’ll conduct on-leash trail surveys with your dog along designated routes, following simple survey protocols, and submitting valuable data.