Getting Out On The Water Again to Find Mussels

Recently I've been thinking about getting back out on the water and in the creek.  Last week I attended a talk on freshwater mussels in the Delaware Bay watershed system (our whole area).  The talk was put on by The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and Dr. Danielle Kreeger presented on the ecosystem services the mussels provide, how they are doing in our area and what they could be doing if we helped support them.

Yay Bivalves!

They have a citizen science program where volunteers can report on the mussels (if any) they find in local waterways, look up the type of mussel in their guide book, and upload your findings to their website. The facts on freshwater mussels (not the marine type mussels we eat), make you realize how cool they are, as water filtration systems and part of the ecosystem in the rivers and creeks.

Clean!

Cool designs they are working on

I came across some pictures from kayaking on the Delaware and it made me miss the warm weather and being out on the water even more.

Looking into the mouth of the Pompeston Creek

Houses on the Delaware

A shore without a bulkhead

For now I get to look at the ice and snow on the Pompeston Creek and watch the ducks huddled together on a sheet of ice as the tide goes in and out.

Pompeston Creek looking into the wetland

Poor mallards!