A River’s Best Friend: Discovering the Indiana Freshwater Mussel

Event Details

As the culmination of a month-long celebration of the connection between Indiana’s river cities and Indiana’s mussels, Jeffersonville Township Public Library will feature a program by freshwater ecologist Cassie Hauswald, a native of our area.

The past, present and future of Indiana’s water can be told through our 75-plus species of freshwater mussels, which places Indiana in the top ten of U.S. states for mussel diversity. From Native American use to Indiana’s thriving pearl button industry to the cultured pearl trade, Indiana’s freshwater mussels and bountiful rivers have sustained life and livelihoods. As filter feeders, freshwater mussels can only survive in clean rivers, and their filter feeding also cleans water. The history of people and mussels has left a mark on the health of our rivers; learn about positive choices for water that can keep the story of mussels in Indiana alive and well.

Cassie Hauswald is the Director of Freshwater Programs for the Sam Shine Foundation and previously has worked on conservation issues for The Nature Conservancy in Indiana for over twenty years. As a freshwater ecologist, focusing on aquatic habitats leads Cassie to think about the intersection of rural land use and water quality impacts to Indiana’s rivers and streams. Cassie is particularly concerned about freshwater mussel populations and their response to improved water quality.

Join us in person at our Clarksville location in Meeting Room A or register through our events calendar to receive a link to the virtual program. No registration is required to attend the live program.