Biochemistry students gathered the bark of sycamore trees on campus Tuesday to supply researchers at the University of Ottawa seeking to soothe dogs’ nerves.

“You know how dogs get anxious, during thunderstorms for instance?” says professor Siyaram Pandey. “We are collecting this material for our collaborators who are using compounds in it as anti-anxiety medication.”

The trees naturally slough off the bark, so gathering it poses no risk to their health, Dr. Pandey says, noting they are plentiful in the area: “Our campus is full of them.”