Doherty Hosts Freshwater Mussels
February 2, 2026
For two weeks in January, the Doherty library was home to some unlikely visitors, five freshwater mussels.
The mussels came to Doherty through the Ohio River Foundation’s Mussels in the Classroom program. Members of the Green Team, the environmental club for Unit III students, were charged with caring for the mussels during the two-week stay. Evan Banzhof, from the Ohio River Foundation, taught the Green Team about the freshwater mussels and how they help local waterways, like the Ohio River.
The students got to handle mussel shells and share if they have seen mussels in streams near their houses before. Banzhof taught the Green Team students the safest way to hold and feed the mussels so they could teach their classmates.
The Green Team recorded the daily movements of the mussels and made independent observations. They also recorded informational videos about the mussels to share with the pre-kindergarten students.
