Portland Speaker Series

River Restoration and Native Freshwater Mussels: Options and Opportunities

Where: Lucky Lab on NW Quimby

When: November 7th, 2023. Happy hour starts around 5pm; presentation will begin around 6.

Pacific Northwest rivers and streams are home to several species of native freshwater mussels, benthic bivalves that improve water quality, increase the abundance of other macroinvertebrates, support fish populations, and remain culturally important. Emilie's talk will introduce our native species of freshwater mussels, covering their unique life history and where they can be found. She'll also share examples of how river restoration can (and should) include mussels, whose populations are declining regionally, and enhance their habitat.

Speaker Biography

Emilie is a Senior Conservation Biologist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. She holds a master's of science in biology from Kansas State University and a bachelor's degree in biology from Berea College. Her professional experience includes more than 15 years working in biological research, conservation, and restoration. Her recent work ranges widely, from surveying for terrestrial snails, high alpine stoneflies, and freshwater mussels, to developing protocols, guidelines, and conservation recommendations to support invertebrates. Emilie is a past chair of the Pacific Northwest Native Freshwater Mussel Workgroup and serves as the lead on freshwater mussel conservation work at Xerces. She is also the lead author of Conserving the Gems of Our Waters: Best Management Practices for Protecting Native Western Freshwater Mussels During Aquatic and Riparian Restoration, Construction, and Land Management Projects and Activities.

RRNW Membership

There is no charge for the event and you do not need to be an RRNW member to attend; however, we encourage you to join RRNW.  By becoming a RRNW member you will receive a discount on registration fees for the annual River Restoration Symposium the first week in February and other benefits, connect to a network of restoration professionals, and help support future speaker events!

Sponsorship

These event are made possible by our generous sponsors, if you would like to sponsor this or future events click here.

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Past Speakers

  • Rick Hafele – January 2021
  • Dan Bingham – March 2020
  • Bruce Roll – December 2019
  • Gabe Sheoships – May 2019
  • Randy Reeve – March 2019
  • Leslie Bach – December 2018
  • Matthew Johnson – September 2018
  • Daniel Newberry – May 2018
  • Esther Lev – December 2017
  • Rose Wallick – March 2017
  • Desiree Tullos – December 2016
  • Janine Castro – October 2016
  • Gordon Grant – May 2016
  • Matt Van Ess – March 2016
  • Mike Houck – November 2015
  • Celeste Searles Mazzacano – October 2015
  • Dan Bottom – June 2015
  • Bob Beschta – April 2015
  • Michael Pollock – December 2014
  • Laura Brophy – October 2014
  • Colin Thorne – June 2014
  • Bill Bradbury – April 2014
  • Stan Gregory – December 2013
  • Ken Bierly – October 2013
  • Janine Castro – October 2013