GSS SMUMN Partners with Restoravore to showcase Local Watershed Restoration

GeoSpatial Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota (GSS SMUMN) is proud to support Restoravore in their mission to restore and protect the Pleasant Valley Watershed through innovative, community-centered land management and restoration.

The Pleasant Valley Watershed: A Living Lab

Restoravore sees their home watershed as a working “proof of concept.” It serves as a hub for research, observation, and experimentation in restoration, grazing management, and native vegetation stewardship. With goals of building local food markets connected to ecological health, they envision terms like “prairie-fed” or “native-fed” becoming part of a regional identity.

GSS’s Role: Bringing the Story to Life

To support this work, GSS developed a dynamic story map using the ArcGIS StoryMap application. The story map format allows geographic information to be combined with narrative storytelling using text and multimedia content. The result is a geographically enabled and interactive digital story that highlights the exciting restoration work that Restoravore is conducting in its watershed.

Highlights of the project include:

Through the story map, users can interact with 3D applications, data visualization dashboards, and interactive web maps that showcase Restoravore’s restoration efforts in the Pleasant Valley watershed.

Explore the StoryMap:

Take a visual tour of the project, its progress, and what lies ahead:

View the Pleasant Valley Watershed StoryMap by clicking the link: Cultivating a Native Ecological Legacy

Why It Matters:

This StoryMap is more than a collection of maps—it’s a tool for:

• Planners and decision-makers who need actionable data for restoration

• Landowners and local stewards, who want to see and share results

• Educators and volunteers, who can use it as a resource in community outreach

• Everyone who cares about water quality, habitat, and rural resilience

Recently, Restoravore hosted one of the field trip events for the Northeast-Midwest Prescribed Fire Science and Management Workshop, along with the Prairie Enthusiasts, on the Pleasant Valley bluff. This event was presented to show how prescribed fire is used to restore and manage an exemplary goat prairie near Winona in the Driftless Area of southeast Minnesota. GSS Technician, Rainier Bergstrom-Conley, and GSS/Cascade Meadow Summer Interns, Gabriella Acosta and Gavin Stichman, were able to attend the event and experience the work firsthand.

GSS SMUMN is excited to continue supporting innovative and collaborative watershed work with Restoravore and other local partners. Together, we’re connecting data, land, and people—one story at a time.