At the confluence of wild and domesticated sits Julia Nawrocki, who joined NRRI as a wildlife ecologist in the Fall of 2024. She is at once immersed in wildlife – currently Minnesota weasels – and also dogs. But not just any dogs. Her dogs are sometimes part of the research team, too.
Nawrocki’s fascination with dogs started when she was young and she eventually found a way to meld it into her adult career trajectory.
As a wildlife technician back in 2012, Nawrocki got her first close-up of conservation detection dog teams searching for scat of forest-dwelling fishers. These dogs are trained to detect target odors including invasive species, elusive wildlife, or – as Nawrocki observed – feces of specific animals. The dogs help researchers and conservationists locate and monitor wildlife and manage ecosystems, among other things.
“I was amazed at how effective it was. I also appreciate that it is a way to collect valuable data without introducing additional stress on the study animals,” she said. “That experience never left me and I continued to follow advances in that field, expanding my skills in canine training, behavior and detection work.”
Meanwhile, Nawrocki continued to pursue the – often arduous and low-paying – life of a wildlife ecologist. Field work requires long days in short-term jobs with non-traditional hours and lots of moves to new jobs.
“But being a wildlife ecologist is something I’ve worked toward the majority of my life,” she added. “And now I’m happy to have found, what I hope will be, a more permanent home at NRRI in northern Minnesota.”
Dog Detectives
While working for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in 2019, another conservation detection dog team came into her work world, and she was hooked for good. She reached out to her past connections and in 2022, took a leave of absence to be a crew leader and detection dog handler with Rogue Detection Teams.
“It was simultaneously one of the most difficult field seasons I have ever endured, but also one of the best I have ever had,” said Nawrocki. “All of the skills and knowledge I pursued in my limited personal time finally came together and validated my place in this field.”
She trained one of her own dogs as well as a newly recruited rescue dog, helped co-workers troubleshoot issues and ultimately had a successful season. And adopted the new dog, who is now a member of her family.
To say she is passionate about detection dog work is an understatement. In 2023 Nawrocki founded The Wildlife Society’s Conservation Dog Teams Working Group, and is currently Interim Chair.
“One of the main goals of the working group is to generate accessible resources to increase knowledge and understanding of integrating dog teams into research and management efforts,” Nawrocki said.
But she is also clear that dog teams are not for everyone, nor every project. There are no “days off” as the dogs need round-the-clock care, the human has to pack and carry enough gear for them both, be prepared with first aid and ready to carry them in particularly challenging environments. It takes a lot of additional planning and there are certain situations where other methods are simply a better fit than dog teams.
“I have been talking with the NRRI wildlife leaders about what roles dog teams could play in the work we do,” she said. “There are definitely ways we can incorporate them into many of the wildlife projects underway to collect more robust data.”
Watching Weasels
Nawrocki’s current research focus is to gather baseline data on Minnesota’s three small weasel species. Some studies suggest there may be widespread declines of weasels across North America. The aim of the project is to fill in critical knowledge gaps such as where they are living across Minnesota and identify areas where they may be more common.
And while dogs may be her favorite domestic animal, weasels are her favorite Mustelid – the family of carnivore mammals that also includes badgers, otters, martens and wolverines.
“They’re small, yet also really fierce hunters that can take down prey larger than themselves,” she said.
And even without detection dog teams, this project uses another valuable non-invasive research method. The team is using camera traps with scent lures to attract the weasels so a camera can grab a photo. While capturing, collaring and tagging animals is also useful and important, Nawrocki appreciates this passive method, which can have less impact on study species.
“Plus, it is really neat to watch a little video clip of a weasel checking out our scent tins!” she added.
Off Hours
No surprise here – Nawrocki spends a lot of her non-work hours with her dogs. She and her partner take their three pups on many outdoor adventures in all the northland’s seasons. She’s also involved in HerUpland’s Minnesota Pointing Dog Camp, which provides opportunities for women and girls in Upland hunting, bird dog training, conservation, and mentorship.
But since they recently moved to the Duluth area, she’s also busy settling into their home. “A few of our current projects include building a raised garden area, cultivating mushrooms, and building and maintaining a few trails across our property,” she said.