Volunteer Snorkel in the Paulins Kill River for Mussel Data Survey

Join the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s senior scientist, Dr. Erik Silldorff, 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.

Available dates:
August 31^th  (Saturday)
September 5^th  (Thursday)
September 13^th  (Friday)
September 27^th  (Friday)
September 28^th  (Saturday)

Volunteer “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.

Please email erik@delawareriverkeeper.org if you are interested in this opportunity, or if you would like to sign up to volunteer for a given survey date!

All specialized gear will be provided by DRN:

• wetsuits
• masks
• snorkels
• (please bring your own water shoes!)

Photo by Nick Macelko, mussel volunteer

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.

Come join us on the Paulins Kill river to learn more about “pearly” mussels!!

Funding for this work is generously provided by the Appalachian Mountain Club & the Mohawk Canoe Club.

This event is conducted in Partnership with the American Canoe Association.