SOS! Search Our Shorelines for Shells

Do you like to wander the shorelines of rivers, streams and lakes? Maybe you are a beachcomber and enjoy collecting shells. We need your help with the Vermont Freshwater Mussel Survey. It is easy and fun. Anyone can help! Visit the basics of freshwater mussel biology, identification, how to conduct shoreline surveys and submit your data to our Vermont Freshwater Mussel Survey project on iNaturalist.

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!

You can now download an annotated checklist of the freshwater mussels of Vermont. This list includes information on range, conservation status, and morphology, and other key identification factors.