About
Mission
The Mission of the Museum of Natural History is to preserve natural diversity of life in Northeast Nebraska through maintaining and adding to our collections, through science education and outreach, and through actions to conserve and restore natural habitat in the region. Several individuals have used specimens from the museum to inspire and inform their art.
Collections and Facilities
The Wayne State College A. Jewell Schock Museum of Natural History houses more than 15,000 specimens of birds, mammals, invertebrates, plants, and fossils. The museum has a public display which showcases the history of life on earth and houses unique specimens such as a whooping crane, a grizzly bear, and a mammoth tusk. Interactive stations with digital microscopes are accessible to visitors. The extensive bird, mammal, and plant collections are used by WSC students and researchers interested in the biological diversity of Northeast Nebraska. The museum was created by Jewell Schock, former zoologist at Wayne State College.
Charles Maier Herbarium
Ecological Study Area (ESA)
The ESA is located on the WSC campus and is used in environmental education for WSC students and K-12 students from regional schools. Dr. Hammer in continuing the work of his predecessor, Dr. Chuck Meier, in working to restore the 7 acres of tallgrass prairie established in 2002.
Contact Dr. Hammer for more information or to schedule a guided tour of the ESA prairie.
Digital Histories
A. Jewell Schock Museum of Natural History requests your memories and recollections of the land, farms, ranches, and city life of Northeast Nebraska.
We are seeking pictures, film, or recordings that might help the museum create a database and a possible exhibit that tells the story of the landscape of Northeast Nebraska.
We welcome all people and encourage you to participate in telling your story for others to hear today and in the future.