Mussels: A Shell of Indiana’s Rivers

Event Details

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 inversely, their filter feeding also cleans water. The history of people and mussels has left a mark on the health of our rivers. Join Cassie Hauswald of The Nature Conservatory in Indiana to learn about positive choices for water that can keep the story of mussels in Indiana alive and well.