(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)

Trevor Starks is on a mission. He wants to help the humble but powerful creatures that clean the waters of the Neosho River: freshwater mussels. For decades, their populations dwindled due to overharvesting, pollution and dam construction. To right the wrongs of the past, Trevor and his colleagues are releasing rare mussels by the hundreds. Now, the only thing left is to find out if it worked.

This episode was written, reported, produced and mixed by Celia Llopis-Jepsen. Up From Dust's editors are Mackenzie Martin and Stephen Koranda.

Resources:

• True Facts: A comedy video that explains mussel reproduction (contains adult language)
• Great Plains Nature Center Pocket Guides for identifying mussels, fish and more
• These fish, mussel and turtle species are the focus of Kansas' aquatic recovery program