Join the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society for a virtual program on Zoom Tuesday, July 19, 7 p.m. EDT as we learn from Tim Lane why mussels are important to conserve, protect and recover. Mussel populations are indicators of a river’s health and you may be surprised how many we have in Tennessee and Virginia.
Tim Lane is the mussel recovery coordinator at Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. He oversees operations at the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center in Marion, Virginia, an organization that focuses on raising and stocking rare species. They also monitor and manage mussel recovery in streams of the Upper Tennessee River Basin, including the Clinch, Powell and Holston rivers and their tributaries.
Lane has extensive experience with over 40 mussel species in the region, specifically the 20 federally listed species that call southwest Virginia and East Tennessee home. He leads the Department’s large annual “Musselrama” sampling event in the Clinch River where 20 to 30 biologists and volunteers gather for a week each summer to monitor the largest mussel population centers in southwest Virginia.
The program is free, but registration is required to receive your link. Register at www.utarboretumsociety.org. This program will be recorded, and closed captioning is available. Please note this program is scheduled on Eastern time. Please contact UT Arboretum Education Coordinator, Michelle Campanis, at mcampani@utk.edu with any questions or registration issues.
Due to continued concerns regarding Covid -19, the UT Arboretum Society’s educational programs are currently not on-site activities. The UT Arboretum Society is pleased to bring the public some great online options.
To learn more about the Arboretum Society or for questions on this program, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org
Melanie Staten is a public relations consultant with her husband, Vince.