Mighty River Keepers: Freshwater Mussels

This free program covers what native freshwater mussels are and what they do in an environment, a short history of how they were used by indigenous people, and invasive mussels and their impact on aquatic ecosystems. There will also be a discussion about the Grasse River project that is being conducted by the Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Museum, and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Environment Division. Samples of mussels and other educational materials will be passed around.

Lauren Eggleston, Assistant Director

Lauren grew up in the North Country and spent her childhood on the shores of Lake Ontario and the River. Lauren joined Save The River in 2020. She holds an MSc in Structural Geology from the University of Alberta. Lauren found a love for education and environmental advocacy with the National Park System and New York State Parks. Her work at Save The River focuses on teaching and collaborative research.

Chelsea Broughton, Education Coordinator

Chelsea was born and raised in western New York but came north to receive a degree in Pre-Law at SUNY Canton. In 2017, she began working at New York State Parks as an Environmental Educator, where her passion for conservation took off. Since then, Chelsea has been involved with multiple education organizations and worked as a Conservation Steward for the SCA. She joined Save The River in 2021 as an intern and was promoted shortly after.