Mussels are mighty protectors of clean freshwater, filter-feeding all kinds of pollution from their habitat. Here’s a chance to meet these fascinating critters, and the folks putting them back in the river!

Join us for a walk from Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to Kenilworth Lake, where the Anacostia Watershed Society will showcase their fantastic work on native mussel restoration in the Anacostia.

Expect to walk about 1 mile on easy terrain. Materials for mussel meet and greet will be provided, but please bring your own water bottle, snacks, and bug spray (if needed).

This event is FREE of cost, but please register in case of delays or rescheduling due to inclement weather or high river flow.

Each participant will be required to complete the following form. Copies will be available at the beginning of the hike or you can bring your own printed, signed copy: https://www.potomacriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Liability-Waiver-and-Medical-Form_2020.pdf

This hike is produced by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) in collaboration with the Anacostia Watershed Society. It is part of ICPRB’s Walk in the Woods series of hikes.

If you need special accommodations to participate, please contact ICPRB via telephone at 301-984-1908 or through email at info@icprb.org. Requests should be made at least 10 business days in advance of the event. Please contact us so we may serve you better.

About Anacostia Watershed Society:

AWS is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and restore the Anacostia River by bringing partners and communities together to achieve a clean and safe Anacostia River for the benefit of all living in its watershed and for future generations.

The vision is to make the Anacostia River and its tributaries swimmable and fishable, in keeping with the Clean Water Act, for the health and enjoyment of everyone in the community. Community involvement is critical to achieving this vision and AWS seeks win-win solutions through strong partnerships and coalitions, with all parts of the community, government, and other stakeholders. Core to our work is reaching out to, educating and engaging the next generation of decision-makers, our youth.

Since 2018, AWS has released over 36,000 mussels of 4 different native species: Eastern lampmussel, Eastern floater, Eastern pondmussel, and Alewife floater, the last two species being Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in both Maryland and DC. That number of mussels can filter the equivalent of 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools on an annual basis. Our goal is to propagate and introduce these mussels into the river so that more mussels filter more water therefore improving the water clarity and the aquatic ecosystems