Sit, stay, sniff — and do some science! Research teams are using dogs’ keen senses to help restore the population of a rare plant.

The Desert Botanical Garden uses trained dogs to facilitate the study of the rare Canelo Hills ladies orchid, an endangered plant that grows in the southern part of Arizona.

The plant has a short flowering period, making it very difficult to find them, but dogs can detect them more easily by sniffing them, explains the Desert Botanical Garden.

The plant was first listed as endangered in 1997, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

A Analysis 2021 said the most significant threats to the plant include habitat loss, pollinator declines, drought and climate change.

Trained dogs first located the plant in 2022 and researchers hope they will continue to contribute to the search process so that the plant’s wild population can be restored.

Learn more about these specially trained animals and the work they do across Arizona in the video player above.