Hi Birders,

The Vermont freshwater mussel survey needs your help and you can bird watch
while doing it!

Freshwater mussels need clean water, suitable habitat, and healthy fish
assemblages. Vermont's Wildlife Action Plan, a proactive examination of the
health of Vermont's wildlife, provides a blueprint for wildlife
conservation for everyone from government agencies, to nonprofit
organizations, and private landowners. In Vermont, 13 of the 18 known
species are considered 'Species of Greatest Conservation Need' by the Plan.
And one of the highest priority actions is to obtain information on
distribution and abundance of each species. From the common to the rare, we
need your help in recording locations of freshwater mussels in Vermont.
Nearly everyone knows what a mussel shell looks like and many of you are
armed with a camera. Help us find them.
Join us at the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier from 10AM to 2PM on
Saturday, July 15th. Sponsored by VCE and Vermont Fish & Wildlife, this
workshop will teach participants the basics of freshwater mussel biology,
identification, how to conduct shoreline surveys and how to submit your
data to our Vermont Freshwater Mussel Survey project on iNaturalist.

RSVP to attend this workshop at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/surveying-for-freshwater-mussels-a-volunteer-workshop-tickets-35789942682.
And then get out and help us survey waterways for these incredible but
vulnerable aquatic animals. For more information, contact Lyra Brennan at
[log in to unmask] and learn more on the VCE Blog at
https://vtecostudies.org/blog/freshwater-mussel-survey-needs-your-help.

____________________________

Kent McFarland
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
PO Box 420 | Norwich, Vermont 05055
802.649.1431 x201

<http://vtecostudies.org/>