Ongoing
Blairstown, NJ,
New Jersey, Highlands Region,
NJ
In partnership with the Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN), AMC is seeking interested community science volunteers in an underwater exploration of the Paulins Kill river in northern New Jersey! During this FREE EVENT, we will train volunteers on mussel survey techniques, and the biology of freshwater mussels. And then we will snorkel together down the Paulins Kill in search of these amazing underwater denizens. The dates for surveying are: Saturday, August 31th; Thursday, September 5th; Friday, September 13th; Friday, September 27th; and Saturday, September 28th Volunteers community scientists typically sign up for a single survey date. We will then coordinate among the volunteers to select the optimal time for the survey. The training, survey, and clean-up typically take about 4 hours of time. All gear will be provided by DRN (wetsuits, masks, snorkels), though participants must bring their own water shoes. If you are interested in this opportunity and want to learn more, or if you are ready to sign-up and volunteer for a specific date, please contact DRN's restoration director, Erik Silldorff ([email protected]). Erik will coordinate individually with each volunteer on gear, timing, and logistics. The "pearly" mussels are a group of freshwater bivalves (clams) that are among the most imperiled groups on the planet. Their unique life history places them at risk from many threats to our aquatic ecosystems, including pollution and habitat destruction, invasive species, and stormwater impacts. But the Delaware River itself and some of its cleanest tributaries still maintain high densities of these amazing animals. For our region, the Paulins Kill River harbors an astounding diversity of these freshwater mussels, and efforts to restore the Paulins Kill may lead to further benefits to these mussel species. The removal of the Columbia Lake dam near the confluence with the Delaware River in 2018, in particular, opened up the Paulins Kill for migratory fish such as American Eels and American Shad for the first time in more than a century. These migratory fish play a key role in the biology of freshwater mussels and their complex life history. Funding for this project has generously been provided by the Appalachian Mountain Club's Waters and Rivers Protection Fund, managed by the Interchapter Paddling Committee, and the Mohawk Canoe Club.
Free
