More than 100 distinct wildfires swept across the El Maule region in central Chile two years ago, causing more than a million acres of forested areas to be destroyed. The worst wildfire season in the nation’s history claimed many lives and caused an estimated $333 million in damages. The animals had to find safer places to go.
Replanting many acres of the forest felt like a difficult task. That is until three odd employees started working on the project. Three Border Collies, including six-year-old Das and her two daughters, Olivia and Summer, have been trained to run through the destroyed woodlands while carrying unique backpacks that disperse seeds of local plants. These seeds will aid in the regeneration of the devastated area once they take root.
As it turns out, Border Collies are the perfect breed for this particular job. Speed, intelligence, and stamina are all necessary when bounding through miles of forested terrain, but it’s also important to be willing to maintain concentration and avoid getting sidetracked by wildlife. Because Border Collies were developed to herd sheep, they are less prone to chase or harm other woodland creatures. Francisca and Constanza Torres, the dogs’ owners and trainers claim that the canine trio enjoys running and bounding around the outdoors. According to Francisca on Mother Nature Network, “They adore it so much!
In addition, this approach is more effective than manually spreading the seeds. These swift dogs may run up to 18 miles per day across a forest. Humans, however, are limited to a few miles every day. Depending on the terrain, these puppies may distribute almost 20 pounds of seeds. Dogs are less expensive than robots or drones for dispersing seeds.
The dogs are outfitted with special backpacks by Francisca and Constanza, who then pack them with local seeds before sending them racing. After the dogs empty their bags, Francisca and Constanza give them goodies, replenish their bags, and let them run about the damaged forest, spreading more seeds. Naturally, the ultimate purpose of all of this is to repair the ecosystem’s harm and encourage wildlife to return to the forests.
Francisca told Mother Nature Network, “We’ve noticed a lot of vegetation and wildlife returning to the charred forest!” Although the dogs already have helped restore 15 woodlands in the El Maule area, Francisca and Constanza intend to continue planting seeds with the canine crew.