Freshwater pearl mussels are molluscs that help to filter the water of our rivers and lakes. They have a fascinating life cycle that depends on using salmon and trout as nurseries! Sadly, the mussel is sensitive to environmental change, and is threatened by pollution of the water in which it lives. By managing the waste products of farming and forestry, we can help to not only save the mussel, but also the pristine waterways in which it lives.