FE6.10 - Mussel Memory

On the emerald isle of Ireland, an easily-overlooked creature holds the history of a nation within its shell. From the rise and collapse of heavy industry, to a bloody civil war, the riverbeds of Ireland have been witness — and they tell a story of change and possibility stretching far beyond any human lifetime.With the help of guest producer Caitlin Kennedy, we're tracing the modern arc of Northern Ireland through the story of the freshwater pearl mussel.— — —🦪 Find photos, citations, and a transcript of this episode at futureecologies.net🌱 Support this indie podcast, made with love for the world. Join our community on Patreon for as little as $1 each month to getExclusive early access to new episodesAccess to our discord (and bookclub)A back catalogue of bonus contentStickers, patches, hats (and a 50% discount on all merch at any membership level), andYour name listed at futureecologies.net/join — forever— — —Featuring the voices of Frank Mitchell, Mary Catherine Gallagher, Stiofán Cullen, and Sebastian Graham.Music by Olly Keen, Thumbug, Martin Austwick, Sorcha Kennedy, plus our theme by Sunfish Moon LightFrom Caitlin:As well as the episode’s incredible contributors, a huge thank you to everyone at the Ballinderry Rivers Trust, especially Mark Horton for introducing me to freshwater pearl mussels in the first place. Thank you to Dr Evelyn Moorkens and Dr Ian Killeen for their tireless work researching this endangered species over the past 30 years: without them, Irish pearl mussels would be in much worse shape. I'm incredibly grateful to Wetland Surveys Ireland, Dennis Funk, Sarah Jones & John D’Arcy for helping bring this project to life and to Carrie, Sorcha & Garfield for lending an ear with wise words of feedback. And finally, thank you Karina for lending me hydrophones and sharing in my sonic enthusiasm and Jessie for endlessly nerding out about mollusks with me - hopefully we'll come back as one in the next life.See also: Caitlin's article about nacre for Scientific American, and her soundcloudPS. Please do not go stomping around in sensitive Northern Irish river habitat looking for mussels without a survey license!