For Max the dog, finding poo is like finding gold.
The intrepid canine has been trained to seek out one of the country's most emblematic and endangered animals, the koala.
"He's looking for koala poo, and that's all he's interested in," his trainer, ecologist Lynn Baker, said.
Ms Baker and her son Jack Nesbitt, from conservation detection dog agency Canines for Wildlife, are part of a Landcare program that is trying to find out how many koalas live on private properties in the NSW Northern Tablelands.
It is hoped the higher-altitude district could be a refuge for koalas in the face of climate change.
Max, an English springer spaniel, is helping the team by sniffing out poo that can help the program determine how healthy the population is and if the koalas are carrying chlamydia or other diseases.
Ms Baker says Max, who has recently had his nose to the ground at the Winterbrae property, in Black Mountain, is the perfect work colleague.
"He's an eternal optimist, he will do anything for a tennis ball ... and this sort of work we're doing here at Winterbrae just makes him a very happy dog," she said.
"It's very hard to be down in the dumps when you have a dog who's looking so joyous and having such fun doing what he's asked to do."
Max's other handler, Jack Nesbitt, agreed.
"It's more than a handler-dog relationship, it's more like colleagues," he said.
"On the surface, he's crazy as a loon, but at the end of the day when the job's done, he's a really lovable, very soft guy."
The scat also helps researchers determine how many koalas are present and how they are related to each other.
'Way more than I'd imagined'
After the last drought, grazier Teesh Wright bought back a parcel of land that had previously been in her family for years for the sole purpose of preservation.
It is one of the properties Max is searching for koala poo.
Ms Wright said her children were deeply affected by watching the drought claim trees, dry the land, and force the family to completely destock their property.
"My daughter, at the time in the drought, said, 'It feels as though the government doesn't care about our environment'," she said.
"She was quite emotional about it which obviously made me emotional.
"And so, I just thought we have to show our children that we can make a difference."
Ms Wright said she knew growing up amongst the trees and creeks, that koalas lived in the area.
But having that knowledge crystallised has given her hope for the future.
"To have the dogs come in today and just reassure you that they really are here, and I mean the scats we've found are so exciting for all of us — it's way more than I'd imagined," she said.
"It just emphasises the importance of looking after this little icon, and hopefully we can make a difference by preserving it."
