Tuesday, June 9, 2026
6:30 PM
McConnell Park
5200 Nippersink Dr.
Richmond, IL. 60071
View on Google Maps
Join Friends of Hackmatack NWR for our Summer Gathering. North America’s most endangered organisms – Freshwater Mussels will be the featured wildlife of this event.
We’ll be joined by Openlands Senior Conservation Research Specialist Laura Barghusen and Dr. Kentaro Inoue, Research Biologist in Freshwater Mussel Conservation at the Shedd Aquarium. These scientists have been studying the mussels of the North Branch of Nippersink Creek which runs through the park. They will share what they have learned about these unique critters.
For those who want to join in, we’ll also head into the creek to see if we can find some mussels ourselves. (If you’d like to join us in the creek, wear clothes that can get wet and water shoes or sneakers.)
Laura and Ken were among our guest speakers at our 2021 annual meeting. We are lucky to be able to spend time with them again, this time out at Nippersink Creek itself.