Throughout her life, Jen Widmer has felt a deep connection to wetlands. As a child, she played broomball on the ice of a wetland near her home. She once attempted swimming in the wetland but was joined by leeches. Despite finding the water “gross,” Widmer recalls fond memories spent along the water’s edge, where she watched geese and other waterfowl.
Now a water resources engineer and a board member of the Ney Nature Center, Widmer gets to restore some of those wetlands that had an influence on her.
As an engineer and lifelong resident of the area, Widmer is well acquainted with the challenges that water can pose. This part of the state has abundant water resources, and many farmers use drainage tiles to address these challenges.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Widmer explained. “While tiling is essential for agriculture in this area, we also need to consider the downstream impacts. The best solution is to create water storage higher up in the watershed. By storing water in wetlands or ponds, we can slow down its flow and promote infiltration. This also creates habitat for migratory birds and other species.”
This process also helps capture excess nutrients before they flow downstream, promoting water quality.
In her work, Widmer has participated in many wetland restoration projects, including one with the Shell Shock River Watershed District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“The Watershed District had land they wanted to restore into a waterfowl production area,” she said. After construction finished, she revisited the site. “While I was there, I saw two black-necked stilts, which are rare birds in Minnesota; they were the first ones I ever saw, and they were wading through a wetland that I designed. It was so impactful.”
Learn more in the We Are Water MN exhibit
Widmer shared her story as a part of We Are Water MN, a traveling exhibit and community engagement initiative that explores Minnesotans’ relationship with water. Ney Nature Center will host the exhibit from Aug. 14 to Oct. 5, 2025.
The Ney Nature Center is located in the Lower Minnesota River Watershed. Stretching across south-central Minnesota, the watershed is home to 2,432 miles of streams and 133 lakes. The Minnesota River itself flows northeast from Le Sueur to Bloomington, eventually joining the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling in Saint Paul.
Visit the exhibit to hear local stories and learn more about water in this region.
The exhibit will be on display at Ney Nature Center at 28238 Nature Center Lane in Henderson.
Events and activities
- Lifelong Learner Lunch | Aug. 21, 12 -1:30 p.m.
- Lichen love: a world in miniature | Aug. 23, 10 -11:30 a.m.
Preregistration is required for all events.
Find exhibit and event details on the Ney Nature Center website.
About We Are Water MN
We are Water MN is a project of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Humanities Center in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society; the Board of Water and Soil Resources; the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; and University of Minnesota Extension.
It is funded by the Clean Water Fund, part of the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.