We walked a short trail through Lodge Park in order to enter a very low area of the Sangamon. Mr. Harty identified poison ivy for the children, and then briefly and succinctly explained rules and expectations to children. (Listen to me...no nonsense. (Thank you Mr. Harty, children need adults to guide them.)

When we arrived at the river, we got to walk through lots of good mud. (That's why the extra shoes, pants, etc.) Mr. Harty told us a bit about the types of Illinois mussels we would be finding when we searched the river bottom. We learned to see the trail the mussel makes with its foot. We learned common names of many types of mussels, such as Fawn's Foot, Lilliput, Pimpleback, Plain Pocketbook, Wabash Pigtoe, Pistolgrip, Giant Floater, and Three Ridge.

We dragged our hands across the bottom. Then we'd feel those clams! Pull them out, and sometimes they siphoned, squirting water at us. "Hey you mussels. We're not raccoons. We won't eat you! We are just counting you!"

Mr. Harty tells us to keep our mussels submerged in the water. They are aquatic, and need to have water to keep living.

We became so happy and excited every time we found one!

"What kind do you have?"

"It's a pimpleback!"

WHAT FUN, LIKE PANNING FOR GOLD!

WOW Annie, what's that type you have there?

Julia knew all about those pistolgrips...

 

C'mon guys here's a fresh spot.

John and Grace

First we sorted by type. Then by living or no longer living. We counted each species.

We filled in a chart for the Nature Conservancy. It was official!

 

Thanks so much Mr. Harty and Miss Heather. It was sooooo much fun we couldn't even believe it!

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