Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area will host Working Dogs for Conservation from July 1-13.  Working Dogs for Conservation is the world’s leading conservation detection dog organization. Using dogs’ extraordinary sense of smell to protect wildlife and wild places, their canines can detect weeds before they break the surface, animals that live below the ground and aquatic organisms invisible to the human eye.  At Bighorn Canyon, the dogs will help sniff out any quagga and zebra mussels on watercraft. 

Working dogs Lily and Tobias and their handler, Aimee Hurt, will arrive Monday in the recreation area’s South District. Throughout the week, park visitors will see them at the Crooked Creek Contact Station, Horseshoe Bend and Barry’s Landing interacting with boaters and visitors, assisting with boat inspections, and providing outreach and interpretation for the aquatic invasive species (AIS) program. Hurt will also give a presentation at the Lovell Visitor Center from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday.  She will go in depth about how the dogs do their jobs, what invasives they search out and what other agencies they work with. The dogs will be at the presentation to meet and greet the public.

On July 8, Hurt will travel to the North District, where she and her dogs will work with boaters and visitors at both the Afterbay Contact Station and at Ok-A-Beh Marina. Hurt will present a second program at the Afterbay campground amphitheater at 6 p.m. on July 11, if the weather permits.

In coordination with their visit, Bighorn Canyon has prepared an AIS Jr. Ranger rack card and AIS Dog stickers for kids. The park will kick off “Bark Ranger” month on Monday and have programs related to dogs in the park for the remainder of July. The park is working with Western National Park Association to make “Bark Ranger” items available for responsible dog owners who enjoy recreating with their own dogs.

For current lake conditions or help planning a visit, visitors may call the Cal S. Taggart Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center at 307-548-5406.