Conservation Dogs Collective

🐝 Ernie & Betty White are thrilled to share our results from the 2026 bumble bee nest survey season! Using their highly-capable noses, our survey efforts netted out 13 confirmed nests from 5 different species of bumble bees and an additional 109 areas of interest this season. This research is crucial for understanding and protecting our native pollinators and I'm thrilled with the performance of the dogs across their 12days of work! Thank you to this year's partners and Ernie & Betty White's Patreon family for helping us make a SNIFFerence in this important work!

A couple of very good dogs, doing good things.

Dogs that sniff together, lick together.

📸 Katie Homan

We BEE sniffin’ today!

We BEE getting ready for tomorrow’s bumble bee nest surveys. 👃 🐝 🪹

It's nasty hot this week in our home state of Wisconsin, so it's time for a little PSA about recognizing heat-related illness in dogs from University of Pennsylvania.

Recognizing heat-related illness in dogs | Penn Climate Insights Climate change is eliciting a record number of hot days and heat waves, thwarting outdoor activities, and amplifying risk for heat-related illness in dogs (Hall et al., 2021). Excess ambient heat and humidity overwhelm normal cooling mechanisms in dogs, a phenomenon that is amplified by exercise. Th...

Field Report: A Week of Bumble Bees & Big Surprises 🐾

Hi friends, it's Ernie & Betty White checking in from a BIG week in the field!

Betty White confirmed two active bumble bee nests — a brown-belted and a two-spotted — at a very satisfying treat-earning rate. Ernie found a predated turtle shell (not a live turtle, but a find is a find, and yes he was rewarded). And then... the plot twist nobody saw coming: Ernie sniffed out a MATING PAIR of black-and-gold bumble bees — a "thing" nobody ever specifically trained us on, and a behavior that typically isn't seen until late July at the earliest. Laura made a lot of sounds. It was a whole thing.

Betty White also ate a significant quantity of prairie grass and has no notes on that decision. The universe received it back at 3:45AM on Sunday morning. Nothing gets humans out of bed faster than the glugging noise of impending vomit.

Want the full story — including video of Ernie's big find? Head over to Ernie & Betty White's Patreon family for exclusive field footage! 🎥🐝

👉 patreon.com/conservationdogscollective

🐝👃 Finders Ernie & Betty White have official sniffed their way through the first week of bumble bee nest surveys!

Bumble bee nests are notoriously hard for humans to find (they’re often hidden underground in rodent burrow systems, under leaf litter, or tucked into grassy tussocks) — which is exactly where Ernie & Betty White come in handy.

A few fun facts to buzz about 🐝:
🔹 A single bumble bee colony can have anywhere from 50 to 500 bees, produced by a single queen bee.
🔹 Unlike honey bees, bumble bee colonies only last one season — every nest the dogs find is a brand-new one each year!
🔹 Bumble bees can fly in cooler, cloudier weather than most other bees, making them some of the first pollinators out in spring.
🔹 Some bumble bee species, like the rusty patched bumble bee, are federally endangered — so every nest located adds real data to their protection.

Huge thanks to our amazing field partners for getting this season underway with us and for the never ending support of our community and Patreon family!

🐾 SWEET # SEVEN 🎂

Happy 7th birthday to the fuzzy black pocket rocket, Betty White! Since arriving home as a wee little 8-week-old pup, Betty White has been working hard on being a best friend to conservation. During her career, she's been trained to located bumble bee nests, 2 different species of turtles, and the invasive New Zealand mudsnail. She's traveled across states for her work and shown of her sniffy and social skills at various educational events to promote the incredible assets detection dogs provide for conservation programs.

She's smart, she's sassy, and she's talkative, but takes her sniffing very seriously. She's spending her day doing exactly what she wants—scent work training, playing with the garden hose, getting special snacks, and curling up into the squishiest, cushiest spots in the house.

Drop a birthday wish for Betty White in the comments! And if you want to give Betty White a special treat for her birthday, consider joining her and her brother's Patreon family. Your support will keep her fueled this summer as we get out in the field sniffing out bumble bee nests. 👉 https://www.patreon.com/conservationdogscollective

Photo by Anne Readel.

🐾🐝 WANTED: BUMBLE BEE NEST SITES! 🐝🐾

It's officially bumble bee nest season, and Ernie & Betty White need your help! We are currently seeking active bumble bee nests to do some scent training with to prepare for the upcoming survey season.

🐝 If you have a wild, active bumble bee nest within a 45-minute commute of Milwaukee, WI please email me (Laura) with your information. Include the species of bumblebee if known (we can help with this), photos and/or videos, and any property information you are able to share. At the end of the season, once a nest is abandoned, we are also looking for nesting material to be used towards continued training of this amazing program.

🙌 Betty White and Ernie are in their 6th consecutive year of bumble bee nest surveys and are incredibly grateful for our amazing community of bumblebee partners, friends, and fans!

🤔 Have leads or questions? Drop them below or email me (Laura) at: [email protected].