Hours: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm   |   (320) 589-5961   |   12 Hwy 28 E. Ste 2, Morris MN 56267

Get Involved

There are lots of ways to help the Watershed, no matter who you are.

The Pomme de Terre River Association welcomes all levels of community involvement to ensure our watershed stays healthy and strong for us and future generations. There are many opportunities to get involved in this stewardship.

ATTEND AN EVENT

To see our upcoming outreach events and educational opportunities, CLICK HERE.

Citizen Science

What is Citizen Science? You don't have to be a scientist to help take care of the place you live. Citizen Science can mean just paying a little closer attention to what's around you — a bird at the feeder, a wildflower in the ditch, a fish in the creek — and jotting it down. Over time, those small observations add up to a richer picture of what's living in the Pomme de Terre Watershed, and how it's changing. We're asking families, landowners, and anyone who spends time outdoors in the watershed to try one (or more) of the free apps below. No training, no obligation — just notice something, snap a photo, and see what it is.

iNaturalist

Inaturalist LogoTake a photo of a plant, bug, fungus, or animal you don’t recognize, and iNaturalist’s community will help you identify it. It’s a great way to learn what’s living around your yard, farm, or favorite trail — and every observation adds to the local record of what’s here.

Get iNaturalist

How to start:

  1. Create an account or log in on the app.
  2. Click on the Menu tab & select Projects.
  3. Search for the Pomme de Terre Watershed Observations project & click Join.
  4. Click the camera icon to take a photo or upload a photo from your camera roll.
  5. iNaturalist will automatically log the time and location, then analyze your photo to help identify the species.

Seek

Seek IconBuilt with kids in mind. Point the camera at a plant or critter and Seek identifies it instantly — no photo upload, no account needed, works even without service. A good one to hand to a kid (or a kid at heart) on a walk.

Get Seek

How to start:

  1. Open the app, click the icon & select iNaturalist.

  2. Click Log in with iNaturalist.

  3. Begin capturing species by clicking the camera icon.

Merlin

Merlin IconNot sure what that bird is? Merlin can identify it from a photo, a description, or even its song. A simple way to put a name to the birds you’re already hearing every day.

Get Merlin

How to start:

  1. Create an account or log in on the app.

  2. When you hear or see a bird, click the Identify tab.

  3. You have three options to help you identify species, but the two most common are to use the microphone to record their calls or the camera to take a picture.

eBird

Ebird IconFor anyone who already watches the birds around the place — feeders, fields, fencerows. Log what you see and help build one of the largest bird records in the world.

Get eBird

How to start:

  1. Create an account or log in on the app.
  2. Follow the set up instructions & install your local Bird Pack.
  3. To begin logging birds, click the Submit tab & press Start checklist.

WANT TO JUMP INTO ACTION?

For families: Turn a walk, a fishing trip, or an afternoon in the backyard into a little adventure. Snap a photo of a bug, a bird, a plant you don’t recognize — apps like Seek and iNaturalist will help you and your kids figure out what you’re looking at, right on the spot. It’s a simple way to spend more time outside together and start recognizing the neighbors you share this land with.

For landowners and producers: You already know this land better than anyone — you’ve watched the same fields, fence lines, and creek bottoms for years. These apps are just a handy way to keep track of what you’re seeing, season to season and letting others benefit from your expertise. That new bird nesting in the windbreak, the wildflowers coming back in a filter strip, a plant you don’t recognize showing up in the pasture. No forms, no obligations — just a photo and an ID, if and when it’s useful to you.

Here are 10 suggestions for how to protect the watershed in your day to day:

For landowners:

  1. Maintain Your Well – If you’re on a private well, have it tested periodically and keep it properly sealed and maintained. A well-cared-for well protects your family and keeps contaminants out of the groundwater everyone shares.
  2. Build Riparian Buffers – Leave or plant grass, trees, and shrubs along creeks, ditches, and wetlands. Buffer strips slow runoff, filter out sediment and nutrients before they reach the water, and hold banks in place.
  3. Manage Nutrients and Chemicals Carefully – Follow soil test recommendations and label directions when applying fertilizer, manure, or pesticides, and watch the weather — skip applications ahead of heavy rain. What isn’t used by the crop is what ends up in the creek.
  4. Keep Livestock Access to Water Controlled – Fencing cattle out of streams and ponds, or providing an alternate water source, protects both water quality and pasture health.
  5. Manage Drainage Thoughtfully – Whether it’s tile, ditches, or grassed waterways, well-maintained drainage moves water efficiently while reducing erosion and sediment loss.

For everyone:

  1. Know Your Water – Learn where your household water comes from (well or rural water system) and where it goes after you’re done with it. Knowing your own water source is the first step to protecting it.
  2. Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species – Clean, Drain, Dry your boat and gear after time on any lake or river. Never release live bait, aquarium fish, or plants into the wild — it only takes one release to introduce a problem that lasts generations.
  3. Reduce Runoff Around Your Home – Direct downspouts onto lawns rather than pavement, sweep up (don’t hose down) grass clippings and driveways, and pick up pet waste. Small choices around the house add up downstream.
  4. Get Outside With Your Family – Take a walk along the creek, go fishing, or spend an afternoon at a local park or wetland. Time outdoors builds the kind of appreciation for this land that lasts a lifetime — and it’s how the next generation learns to care for it too.
  5. Support Local Watershed Efforts – Attend a meeting, volunteer for a project, or just stay in touch with what’s happening in the Pomme de Terre Watershed. Local knowledge and local involvement are what keep conservation work grounded in what actually works here.