Christina dreams of using wildlife detection dogs in her work with strictly protected animals
“Imagine if, with the help of a dog, you could make searches for strictly protected animal species more efficient by shortening the time in the field and at the same time extending the field season.” That’s roughly what Christina Larsson thought to herself when, as an environmental worker in Gribskov Municipality, Denmark, she first heard about a professional practice that is developing rapidly: the use of wildlife detection dogs to search for Annex IV species. And then: “Imagine if I could help promote that area!”
From her municipal environmental tasks, Christina had experience with the strictly protected Annex IV species such as the great crested newt, the sand lizard and the moor frog, which can delay or stop construction projects, among other things, and at a course she met a NIRAS specialist, to whom she presented her idea of searching with dogs. This quickly led to a job interview with two heads of NIRAS's environmental impact assessment department, who were inspired by Christina's enthusiasm - and shortly after, in the fall of 2024, Christina Larsson started as a senior consultant in NIRAS's environmental assessment department, based in the consulting company's headquarters in Allerød, Denmark.
"There is a growing desire to optimise the season for fieldwork in connection with construction projects that require environmental impact assessment. Here, the use of dogs in the search for the strictly protected Annex IV species can be a "game changer."”
Christina Larsson, senior consultant, NIRAS
Significant potential
Here she works as a project manager and specialist on various environmental impact assessment projects. In parallel with her traditional environmental impact assessment work, Christina leads NIRAS' development efforts in the field of searching for Annex IV species with wildlife detection dogs. "It is a field that holds great potential," explains Christina. "There is a growing desire to optimise the season for fieldwork in connection with construction projects that require environmental impact assessment. Here, the use of dogs in the search for the strictly protected Annex IV species can be a "game changer."”
Searching for Annex IV species - for example, in an area planned for a solar farm or a wind farm - generally constitutes a bottleneck in the environmental impact assessment process. Areas planned for renewable energy are often located in potential resting areas for Annex IV species. The field season for searching for the various Annex IV species - which are defined for each species in technical instructions - is linked to the species' breeding area, for example a pond - and can be as short as 3–4 weeks (for example, 1–24 June for the moor frog).
“With their phenomenal sense of smell, dogs can literally find a needle in a haystack, and because dogs' sense of smell is so much better than ours, they can be trained to make fieldwork more efficient by shortening the time spent in the field – and at the same time extending the field season considerably.”
Christina Larsson, senior consultant, NIRAS
The search for Annex IV species within the species' potential resting areas, which can be much larger than their breeding areas, is time-consuming and not described in technical instructions. However, unlike human specialists, wildlife detection dogs with the right training can potentially search for Annex IV species all year round, and at the same time they are significantly faster at finding the strictly protected species.
“With their phenomenal sense of smell, dogs can literally find a needle in a haystack, and because dogs' sense of smell is so much better than ours, they can be trained to make fieldwork more efficient by shortening the time spent in the field – and at the same time extending the field season considerably,” explains Christina Larsson. “For project owners, for example renewable energy developers, the use of dogs in environmental impact assessment work will therefore mean reduced time spent on fieldwork, which can minimise bottlenecks in the environmental impact assessment process and thus contribute to faster progress in the projects.”
Professional practice under development
It almost sounds too good to be true – and in a way it is. Because as it stands now, the use of dogs in the search for Annex IV species, including in connection with environmental impact assessments of plans and projects, has not been approved by the Danish authorities, especially the Danish Agency for Green Transition and Aquatic Environment, which administers the species conservation order. Therefore, project developers are taking a wait-and-see approach, even though they can see the value in streamlined fieldwork and extended field seasons.
Christina Larsson has been actively involved in getting the use of dogs in environmental impact assessment work implemented in Denmark. Together with other dog‑loving colleagues in the consultancy sector, she has established a working group that brings together relevant experts from consultants, clients and authorities, among others, to support knowledge development and the exchange of experience in the field.
At the same time, Christina Larsson is strengthening her skills, among other things, through education in dog behaviour and instruction, but also by teaching dog specialists in NIRAS - and their dogs - as part of developing and offering this new service to customers.
"I have had a dog for many years, taught in a dog club and have always been impressed by the dog's nose. The fact that it might be possible for an environmental impact assessment specialist to elevate their daily work to a whole new level - to the great benefit of clients - with the help of a dog is fantastic."
Christina Larsson, senior consultant, NIRAS
Knowledge and methods
"The purpose of the time that NIRAS and I are currently investing in this work is to help provide a necessary knowledge base for the development of useful and sustainable methods for searching for Annex IV species. Increased knowledge and good methods are the foundation for guidelines that supplement the technical instructions and other guidance that set the framework for searching for Annex IV species," explains Christina Larsson.
For Christina, combining biology and dogs in her work is a dream come true: "I have had a dog for many years, taught in a dog club and have always been impressed by the dog's nose. The fact that it might be possible for an environmental impact assessment specialist to elevate their daily work to a whole new level - to the great benefit of clients - with the help of a dog is fantastic. And why should it stop at searching for Annex IV species?," asks Christina. "What about invasive species, soil samples or water samples and other materials that give off odours...?"
Facts: Annex IV species
Annex IV species
Annex IV species are species listed in Annex IV of the EU Habitats Directive.
The purpose of the Habitats Directive is to conserve natural habitats and wild fauna and flora, and Annex IV species thus include both animals and plants.
Annex IV species are strictly protected, as both the animal species and their habitats are covered by the protection.
The protection includes a ban on:
- All forms of deliberate capture or killing of individuals of these species in the wild.
- Deliberate disturbance of these species, in particular during periods when the animals are breeding, rearing, hibernation and migration.
- Deliberate destruction or taking of eggs in the wild.
- Deterioration or destruction of breeding or resting areas.
Something similar applies to plant species on Annex IV.
The provisions of the Habitats Directive have been implemented in Danish legislation in, among others, the Habitats Executive Order, the Nature Protection Act and the Species Conservation Executive Order.
The rules mean that the authorities may not grant permits for projects or adopt plans, etc., that may harm Annex IV species and their breeding or resting areas.
Facts: the dog's sense of smell, and searching with a dog
The dog's sense of smell
Dogs have 200 million to 1 billion scent receptors, and the mucous membrane in a dog's nose has a surface area of 30-100 cm2 (varies by breed).
In comparison, humans have about 6 million scent receptors, and the mucous membrane in a human nose has a surface area of about 5 cm2.
The area in a dog's brain that processes scent impressions is about 40 times larger than in humans.
Dogs can detect scent concentrations that are up to 100,000 times smaller than humans can.
Anything that has a scent, dogs can be trained to find - not only above ground, but also underground, in trees, in water, etc.
In addition to tracking down animals, plants, fungi and bacteria, dogs are used to track down:
- Living and dead people
- Drugs, hashish, etc.
- Explosives and weapons
- Money
- Bedbugs and mould
- Chlorinated solvents
- Diseases – including cancer, diabetes and Covid
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