ABOUT NATURE NOSE
Nature Nose is a Queensland-based conservation detection dog and ecological monitoring provider founded and led by wildlife scientist and dog trainer Jayda Bruce. We support threatened species conservation through specialist scent detection, ecological field surveys, wildlife monitoring, research support and community engagement.
Our approach brings together scientific methods, high standards of dog welfare, carefully designed field systems and collaboration with researchers, land managers, Traditional Owners and community organisations. Each project is developed around the species, environment and conservation questions involved.
From searching for difficult-to-detect wildlife and ecological evidence to developing monitoring programs and community STEM experiences, Nature Nose connects field science with practical conservation action.
Our Team
JAYDA BRUCE
Founder, Wildlife Scientist & Conservation Detection Dog Trainer/Handler
Jayda is the founder and proprietor of Nature Nose. She holds a Bachelor of Wildlife Science and a Certificate III in Dog Behaviour and Training. She leads the scientific planning, detection dog training and field delivery of Nature Nose projects.
Mentored in specialist dog training by renowned Australian trainer Steve Austin, Jayda combines wildlife science with practical scent-detection methods to support the location and monitoring of wildlife and ecological evidence. Her work includes target-specific dog training, survey planning, field searches, animal welfare, and the careful interpretation and recording of detection dog responses.
Jayda is committed to ethical, evidence-based conservation and making wildlife science accessible through community participation, education and collaboration.
SHERRY BRUCE
Project Manager & Community Engagement Lead
Sherry coordinates Nature Nose projects, partnerships, field systems and community engagement. She holds a Diploma in Education for Sustainable Development and has practical experience in conservation project development, environmental education and science communication.
Her work includes developing survey methods, field recording systems, operational protocols and resources that support accurate data collection and meaningful community participation. Sherry is also the proprietor of Professor JellyBean, a science education provider. She brings these capabilities together to connect field conservation, project delivery and accessible STEM learning.
OUR CANINE TEAM
JARRAH
Jarrah is a working-line English Springer Spaniel trained and handled by Jayda. His target experience includes koala, long-nosed potoroo, feral cat and echidna odour. He supports field surveys, training trials, method development and community science engagement.
Jarrah’s searches are planned around the target species, environmental conditions and project requirements, with his welfare and safety guiding every stage of fieldwork.
TUNDRA
Tundra is a young working-line English Cocker Spaniel beginning her conservation detection career. Her training is building strong foundations in scent recognition, independent searching, communication with her handler and working safely in different environments.
As her skills develop, Tundra will support Nature Nose’s threatened-species detection and ecological monitoring work alongside Jayda and Jarrah.
WHY USE DETECTION DOGS FOR CONSERVATION?
WITH SPECIALISED TRAINING,
CANINES ARE PIVOTAL FOR CONSERVATION WORK
Conservation detection dogs can locate scents associated with animals, scats, nests and other biological evidence that may be difficult for people to detect. When appropriately trained and used within a carefully designed survey method, they can add a highly sensitive search tool to ecological research and monitoring.
1. SENSITIVE DETECTION
Dogs can detect faint, concealed and widely dispersed target odours within complex natural environments.
2. TARGETED SEARCHING
Dogs can be trained to search for a defined biological target while learning to disregard common non-target scents.
3. LOW-DISTURBANCE METHODS
Depending on the species and project design, dogs may help locate ecological evidence without capturing or directly handling wildlife.
4. ADAPTABLE FIELD APPLICATIONS
Detection dog methods can support surveys across varied habitats and be combined with cameras, GPS mapping, sample collection and other monitoring tools.
5. CONNECTION THROUGH SCIENCE
Detection dogs provide an engaging way to introduce communities to animal biology, scent science, ecological monitoring and threatened-species conservation.
OUR APPROACH
Nature Nose places scientific integrity, animal welfare and environmental responsibility at the centre of every project. Detection dog work is designed for the target species and survey environment, with appropriate approvals, risk controls, field protocols and careful recording of results.