Skip to content
How do tiny mussels clean our rivers? episode artwork

Jul 15, 2026 27 min

How do tiny mussels clean our rivers?

from Orbit: Science for kids on the move! Hosted by Cumbre Kids

Who cleans a river? It turns out some of the hardest workers are animals you may have never heard of: freshwater mussels. Join Tyler Hern from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as we discover how these amazing animals help keep rivers healthy, how baby mussels hitch rides on fish, and why scientists are working hard to protect them. ➡️ Part of the Wild Critters USA series, created with PBS Nature and the National Wildlife Federation ➡️ Learn more about freshwater ecosystems with Ranger Rick Magazine: https://rangerrick.org/ ➡️ Learn more about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: https://www.fws.gov/ Orbit Family Conversation Starters! If you were a baby mussel, what do you think it would be like to hitch a ride on a fish? What are some ways our family can help keep rivers, streams, and lakes clean? Continue Learning as a Family! Visit a local stream, pond, or river and look for signs of wildlife that depend on clean water! Explore a National Fish Hatchery or wildlife refuge near you: https://www.fws.gov/program/national-fish-hatchery-system A cool video from PBS showing mussel mimicry and glochidia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7p_w4zE3s4 Orbit links 💬 Submit your kids' questions! Click here to get started 💛 Support this podcast by joining The Curious Club 🖍️ Episode coloring pages 🎧 Cumbre Kids website 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A message for parents about our values: Read more

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Who cleans a river? It turns out some of the hardest workers are animals you may have never heard of: freshwater mussels. Join Tyler Hern from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as we discover how these amazing animals help keep rivers healthy, how baby mussels hitch rides on fish, and why scientists are working hard to protect them. ➡️ Part of the Wild Critters USA series, created with PBS Nature and the National Wildlife Federation ➡️ Learn more about freshwater ecosystems with Ranger...

Ready to play

How do tiny mussels clean our rivers?

0:00 27:30

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Orbit: Science for kids on the move!?

This episode is 27 minutes long.

When was this Orbit: Science for kids on the move! episode published?

This episode was published on July 15, 2026.

Can I download this Orbit: Science for kids on the move! episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.