Canines Detect Unfair Treatment of Natural Resources

Canines Detect Unfair Treatment of Natural Resources

Indigeneity Unleashed: Dogged Pursuit of a Clean Future

By Street Wise Scribe

The Nosey Canines

Residing on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, Souta Calling Last encounters pollution from oil and gas drilling and the illegal dumping of commercial and industrial waste. As the founder of Indigenous Vision, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Indigenous communities, she yearns to map these contaminated areas. To aid her quest, she's found an unlikely ally – working dogs.

These dogs, trained by Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C), can sniff out what humans can't. At present, they're on a mission to identify mink and otter droppings, which scientists later analyze for heavy metals such as arsenic, copper, mercury, and lead. However, this is just the beginning; the dogs are also learning to detect PFAS, prions, and other emerging threats as they emerge.

In 2022, Calling Last teamed up with WD4C to launch the Blackfeet Environmental Justice Program. Most of WD4C's dog recruits hail from local animal shelters, living lavish lives as family pets outside their working hours. Calling Last herself trains Itoomaa, a young cocker spaniel, to continue the noble cause on the Blackfeet Reservation.

"We train our dogs for a myriad of tasks depending on the project and location," said Michele Lovara, a canine field specialist at WD4C. "They detect invasive plants, animals living underground, and endangered species."

Trailblazing the Tainted Terrain

The dogs are instrumental in helping Calling Last pinpoint sites contaminated by toxic waste. Once she's collected data, she’ll publicize it alongside other resources offered by Indigenous Vision, such as maps of tribal businesses, reports of hate crimes against Indigenous people, and more. This will enable community members to identify areas needing cleanup and establish warning zones for food, water, and sacred ceremonies.

As dawn breaks, Lovara, along with another WD4C member and two detection dogs, embark on sampling trips. Frost, a three-year-old English springer spaniel-pit bull mix, and Sully, a six-year-old border collie-golden retriever mix, utilize their superlative senses to uncover what is invisible to humans. A typical outing requires two to three hours of travel, followed by covering a considerable portion of the surrounding wilderness, before returning for a well-deserved rest.

The Power of Canine Nasal Power

Researchers estimate that dogs possess anywhere between 125 million to 800 million olfactory receptors, dwarfing the 5 to 12 million possessed by humans. Bloodhounds, in particular, boast up to four billion receptors. The dogs' acute sense of smell, coupled with their trainability, makes them formidable partners in tackling challenges hidden from human perception.

While the Blackfeet Environmental Justice Program's dogs are currently focused on detecting mink and otter scat, they are also learning to identify new concerns such as PFAS and chronic wasting disease (CWD). One recent example involves the investigation of an auto supply shop that released antifreeze and oil into a nearby river. The program is also training dogs to identify CWD, a fatal neurological disease affecting elk, deer, moose, and caribou. Although CWD poses no direct threat to humans, its effects on wildlife are devastating, emphasizing the interconnected nature of Earth's ecosystems.

In conclusion, the noble work of the Blackfeet Environmental Justice Program and its canine partners shines a light on the contaminated areas of the Blackfeet Reservation, enabling Indigenous communities to take informed action towards a cleaner, healthier future. Through their unparalleled noses and tireless dedication, these dogs illustrate a profound truth: in order to protect the planet, we must seek help from our fellow inhabitants.

1. Indigenous Vision, a nonprofit founded by Souta Calling Last, empowers Indigenous communities, aiming to map contaminated areas on the Blackfeet Reservation.
2. At Indigenous Vision, data gathered for environmental justice will be shared alongside resources like maps of tribal businesses and reports of hate crimes.
3. Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C), an organization committed to conserving environmental resources, has partnered with Calling Last for the Blackfeet Environmental Justice Program.
4. WD4C's dog recruits, originally from local animal shelters, serve as family pets outside their working hours.
5. Calling Last herself trains Itoomaa, a young cocker spaniel, to continue the program's noble cause on the Blackfeet Reservation.
6. Trained by WD4C, working dogs can sniff out what humans can't, such as mink and otter droppings for analysis of harmful substances like arsenic, copper, mercury, and lead.
7. The dogs are currently learning to detect emerging threats like PFAS, prions, and other hazards.
8. These detection dogs, such as Frost and Sully, use their keen sense of smell to uncover pollutants in areas inaccessible to humans.
9. The Blackfeet Environmental Justice Program is also researching chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wildlife, as it poses a threat to ecosystems.
10. The detection of antifreeze and oil from an auto supply shop near a river is one example of the program's accomplishments.
11. The unparalleled sense of smell in dogs, boasting up to 800 million olfactory receptors, makes them effective partners in environmental conservation.
12. Bloodhounds, with up to four billion olfactory receptors, are among the dogs with the most sensitive noses.
13. The Blackfeet Environmental Justice Program works to protect the planet by seeking help from fellow inhabitants - in this case, working dogs.
14. In the realm of health-and-wellness and lifestyle, one might consider the adoption of a pet, such as Itoomaa, for companionship and stress relief.
15. The data collected by the program can help community members set goals for a cleaner, healthier environment through goal-setting and lifelong learning.
16. The program's work promotes skills-training, especially in the field of environmental science, within Indigenous communities.
17. In the digital domain of data-and-cloud-computing, one might analyze data gathered by the Blackfeet Environmental Justice Program to better understand climate change and its impact on the community.
18. The protection of our planet through programs like the Blackfeet Environmental Justice Program underscores the need for sustainable living and a focus on global cuisines that prioritize locally sourced, organic ingredients.
19. Travel, whether adventure-travel, cultural-travel, or budget-travel, can teach us about diverse cuisines, expanding our knowledge on food-and-drink and home-and-garden practices around the world.
20. In the realm of career development, the Blackfeet Environmental Justice Program opens opportunities for individuals passionate about technology, artificial intelligence, cars, education-and-self-development, personal growth, mindfulness, car-maintenance, productivity, and job-search within environmental science and conservation.

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