Upon entering the University of Nebraska State Museum’s new fourth floor exhibit, Cherish Nebraska, visitors are greeted by one of the largest bison that ever lived in the state — or a full-sized replica of the bison, that is.
By Jessica Marshall, ('11)
The looming statue sits atop a pedestal with his curved horns in the rafters. In the background, chirping birds and nature sounds whisk visitors away from the confines of the museum’s top floor back to a Nebraska that existed hundreds of thousands of years ago.
“He arrived in three parts,” said Susan Weller, the museum’s director, of the bison. “Our elevator failed, so part of him was carried up the stairs and part of him was craned through a window. And the platform itself had to be lowered six inches.” This particular type of bison — the Giant Bison — would have existed in the state 120,000 to 130,000 years ago.
Further into the exhibit stands another ancient replica, this one of a saber-tooth, cat-like animal. A threatening-looking replica of the animal’s skull and enormous jaw is perched on a platform nearby. The jaw can be cranked open and closed with a mechanical gear, demonstrating how wide the gape opened to attack prey.
“It was part of a whole lineage of carnivores that were cat-like,” explained Weller. “It’s named Barbourofelis fricki for the third director of the museum, E.H. Barbour who was also the reason Morrill Hall was built in 1927.” Dr. Barbour, was a paleontologist who arrived on campus in 1891, 20 years after the University of Nebraska State Museum was established, but before its permanent home, Morrill Hall, was built. At that time the museum’s artifacts were cramped inside of University Hall, which would soon be condemned as a firetrap. Barbour and John Morrill, head of the university’s Board of Regents, teamed up to find a solution.
The first rendition of Barbour and Morrill’s dream came true in 1908 when a dedicated museum was built. But, the structure was designed to be a small part of a much larger building, and due to financial constraints, it was never completed. In 1912, a fire broke out in one of the building’s stairwells causing extensive damage. As a result, the collections had to be cleaned, preserved and repaired, and Barbour and Morrill went back to the drawing board.
Finally, in 1927, Morrill Hall was completed. Over the years, the building housed the geology and fine arts departments, along with the museum, but today, it’s solely home to the University of Nebraska State Museum. Morrill Hall sits in the heart of City Campus. Archie, a Columbian mammoth statue who found his home there in 1998, greets the visitors outside.
Before the fourth floor was remodeled, a complicated set of offices, classrooms and research labs were housed there, but that posed both a security risk and a threat to the museum’s accreditation.
Enter Cherish Nebraska. The original vision for the exhibit began in 2012, and in 2016 pieces began falling into place. The 11,000-square-foot exhibit officially opened in February, during Charter Week, when the university marked its 150th anniversary.
So, decades leader, E.H. Barbour’s dream has finally come full circle, complete with a saber-tooth carnivore’s replica bearing his name.
The saber-tooth animal existed about 7 million years ago when the state was more of a tropical savannah. Elephants, rhinos and camels also roamed the land. In fact camel fossils are well represented in the museum’s internationally recognized Vertebrate Paleontology collection, Weller noted.
Behind the bison and Barbourofelis, floor-to-ceiling murals depict Nebraska’s diverse history, from past to more present. As visitors walk deeper into the exhibit, the murals begin depicting fewer trees and more grasses until finally today’s modern prairie comes to life.
The story of the state’s modern prairie is incomplete without addressing water’s role. Conservation photographer and assistant professor of practice, Michael Forsberg (’89), and Mike Farrell, assistant professor of practice and special projects manager for the Center for Great Plains Studies, helped create an interactive experience that shows water’s journey throughout Nebraska.
Weller said she asked Farrell if there was one thing visitors should understand after coming through. “Mike looked at me and said ‘I want them to think like a watershed.’ And I said, ‘couldn’t you choose something easier?’”
Forsberg reinforced water’s critical role in Nebraska. “There is no more important issue of our time than water — both quantity and quality,” he said. “Water is our lifeline, and it connects us on the planet.”
An interactive watershed table lets visitors make landforms using a paper mâché substance. The display demonstrates how water flows from high to low areas.
“Play is important in learning,” explained Weller. “So, we have some crawl-throughs, we have some pettable turtles and otters and other tactile things.”
Mariah Lundgren (’14), producer and project manager for the Platte Basin Timelapse project, also contributed to the watershed portion. The Platte Basin Timelapse project uses multimedia content to educate people about what it means to live in a watershed. It documents the Platte River Basin, from its headwaters in the Colorado Rockies to the river’s confluence with the Missouri River on the state’s eastern border. Lundgren was first introduced to the project as a student in Forsberg and Farrell’s class.
Lundgren helped curate, gather and edit Platte Basin Timelapse imagery and video for display in the Cherish Nebraska exhibit.
“I hope visitors leave with a sense of pride for the state and the Great Plains in general. There is such rich human and natural history here, and that is something Nebraskans should be proud of,” she said.
In another area, a combination of real and fabricated plants and insects make up a life-sized diorama. Weller, who is also an entomologist, helped collect several of the insects, like a small bee sitting atop a flower petal.
“We have a few specimens in our entomology collection, however, we could not put them on display, because they are very important. So, working with Innovation Studios, we were able to get an accurate scan of the specimens and they created the 3D print,” Weller said.
Interactivity is the hallmark of the Cherish Nebraska exhibit. Touchscreen videos and games, drawers that pull out to reveal fossils and other specimens, a visible lab where scientists can be watched removing rock from fossilized bone, and bees housed in a turn-table hive invite visitors of all ages to play, touch and explore.
Forsberg hopes the exploration extends beyond the exhibit. “I think if folks take the time and immerse themselves into this exhibit, they will be blown away by the depth and diversity of life, history and geography of this place most people consider flyover country,” he said. “And, they may be inspired to explore it and be proud protectors and stewards of our shared natural heritage.”
As the university continues its sesquicentennial celebration this year, understanding our past is the clearest way to envision our future. If Cherish Nebraska can play a role in that by giving visitors a deeper appreciation for the state’s history, it will have been a success.
“History has many lessons to teach us. It is also the foundation upon how we live in the present and how we might live in the future,” Forsberg said. “It is hard to chart a wise course forward without first knowing where we come from, how we got here and what is at stake.”