A CONSERVATION project aiming to save one of Devon’s most endangered animals, only found on the Torridge and Taw rivers in the county, is seeking donations from the public so that it can continue its work.

Devon Wildlife Trust is calling on the public to donate towards its project aimed to save an endangered species of mussel.

The freshwater pearl mussel might not look as stunning as some wildlife but the conservation charity Devon Wildlife Trust describes it as a ‘remarkable animal’ and one that can have a ‘positive impact for us all’.

Freshwater pearl mussels filter bacteria and algae. So a large population helps to clean up rivers for the benefit of other wildlife.

They have been wild residents of Devon’s rivers for thousands of years but now the mussels are declining significantly across their range and in the whole of Devon they are only found on the Torridge and the Taw.

But even these rivers are too polluted for the mussels to breed successfully. Although they can live to 130 years of age, the youngest freshwater pearl mussels on the River Torridge were born in the 1960s.

Now Devon Wildlife Trust is warning that if they are unable to breed, this unique animal will be lost from the county.

Devon Wildlife Trust is working to clean up the river and to breed mussels in captivity —so they can survive in healthy water at their earliest stage of life, before being returned to the wild.

However, it now needs to fill a £9,000 funding gap in the project and is asking people to help.

In her role as Freshwater Pearl Mussel officer for the national Restoring Freshwater Mussel Rivers in England project, Devon Wildlife Trust’s Izzy Moser has been working with landowners to help improve water quality in the River Torridge for the last two years.

Izzy is also involved in the captive breeding programme, as part of this nationwide effort co-ordinated by the Freshwater Biological Association.   

She said: ‘This winter, we had some great news: the first signs of breeding success for freshwater pearl mussels from the River Torridge in more than 50 years!’

‘But, despite the projects recent successes, there is still a significant amount of work to be done on a catchment scale to reduce run-off from farmland, roads and domestic sources and protect our local waters. We have already planted 80 trees and 250 willow stakes this year to reduce riverbank erosion, and fenced 1km of river but there is much more to be done.’

Although the project to save these creatures is largely funded by Biffa Award, Devon Wildlife Trust has to find a further £9,000 to cover the costs of this critical work on the Freshwater Pearl Mussel project over the coming months.

Anyone making a donation to the Freshwater Pearl Mussel appeal will be playing a role in the rescue plan for one of Devon’s most endangered creatures.

And by supporting work to improve water quality in one of Devon’s grandest rivers, the Torridge, they’ll be helping a wide range of other wildlife too, including otters, dragonflies, bats and kingfishers.