Freshwater Mussel Survey at Heritage Marsh

Note: This event is weather dependent. If you are sick or exhibiting symptoms associated with COVID-19 (such as fever, chills, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, etc.), please do not come to the event and consider joining us another time.

Note: In an effort to improve consistency in our surveys, we will be surveying in groups of 8 for all wild freshwater mussel survey events. Please only sign up if you are certain you are able to attend. If you sign up and need to cancel later on, please let us know as soon as possible so we can recruit our 8th surveyor. Thank you!

Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm (noon)

Meeting Location: Kingman and Heritage Islands Park: 575 Oklahoma Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 (Map)

• The Stadium Armory Metro Station is 1.1 miles away from this location (about an 21 minute walk)
• Parking is available at this location

Project: Volunteers will join AWS for a wild freshwater mussel survey at Heritage Marsh! We will be walking in mud that can be very mucky in waders (AWS can provide you with a pair if you don't have your own). If you're not comfortable walking in mud using waders, we recommend joining us at a different event. If you need to borrow waders from AWS, you will want to make sure they are a snug fit, so if you're a half size in shoes, we recommend rounding down. Please be aware that most of our sizes are "men" sizes. 

In 2015, we started surveying the native species of freshwater mussels in the Anacostia River to understand their diversity and abundance. In 2018 we started a mussel propagation project partnering with the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Virginia collecting local broodstock from the Anacostia River. Volunteers are critical to keep this project going and to meet our goal of enhancing mussel populations to increase their water filtration capacity to help clean our river. 

Physical Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult 

• This event will involve lifting, bending, and walking in mucky mud for a fourth of a mile. Participants will be expected to wear waders for the duration of the event. If you think any of the physical requirements will be problematic, please let us know.

Registration is required. Please register at least 2 days prior to the event date to receive additional information about the event.

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For more information before the event, please contact Emily Castelli at [email protected] or call 301-699-6204 x103.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER