Concordia Prof. Joe Whittaker (at right) and sophomore Caitlin Haasser show off bird specimens at the Elsie Welter Natural History Museum on campus. (Photo/Nancy Hanson.)
Concordia sophomore Caitlin Haasser shows some of the 37,000 insects at the Natural History Museum. Another 30,000 remain to be cataloged. (Photo/Nancy Hanson)
Biology students prepare wildlife specimens donated to the Natural History Museum through the Salvage Wildlife initiative. (Photo/Nancy Hanson)
Nancy Edmonds Hanson
Colliding with a car or flying into a window may mean tragedy for wildlife, but that doesn’t have to be the end. Biologists at Concordia College have begun salvaging the accidentally deceased critters, all in the interest of science … contributing what can be learned to knowledge of environmental health, ecology and conservation.
Concordia’s Elsie Welter Natural History Museum has joined a statewide effort to build a comprehensive biodiversity atlas of Minnesota’s native mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. The professors who direct the on-campus museum are inviting those who come across wildlife carcasses to retrieve and bring them to their campus headquarters in the Integrated Science Center.
There, biology students stand ready to prepare specimens of their bones, hides and tissues. Many of the remains will ultimately join the vast collections at the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum and the Science Museum of Minnesota, to be studied for tracking the spread of diseases, tracing the prevalence of toxins, assessing environmental changes, and understanding ecological interactions with other animals and plants.
The partnership is well along in creating a comprehensive atlas of the state’s biodiversity (its animal and plant life) – one that already has amassed 1.2 million entries. Concordia is one of several remote sites joining the Twin Cities institutions. Tissues are being frozen and stored for genetic study.
Biology professor Joe Whittaker heads the Concordia museum, along with colleague Bryan Bishop. “This partnership with the Bell Museum allows us to contribute meaningfully to a statewide effort that blends citizen science, conservation and education,” he explains. “It’s also a great opportunity for our students to gain hands-on experience in specimen preparation and museum curation.”
Collecting, preparing, studying and even displaying the wildlife of the North Country is nothing new at the college. According to Whittaker, it dates back at least 130 years, when the first specimens were brought to campus.
What’s stored there? Whittaker says the college’s collection includes some 2,500 mammal specimens going back to 1900, collected in 21 states and two provinces. That’s not all. The storage area houses around 1,200 birds from 13 states, dating back to 1895; more than 5,700 plants, collected since 1905; and 37,000 insects, with another 30,000 awaiting cataloging.
At first sight, the Welter Museum doesn’t quite fit the common picture of a museum full of exhibits, dioramas and visitors. While a cross-section of mammal and bird species is displayed in its quarters, along with a leopard and the world’s largest avian egg (laid by the now-extinct elephant bird), the museum itself is a place for study. Its enormous collection is stored in environmentally sound cabinets throughout much of the lower level of the science building. The area smells faintly of mothballs, tucked away to protect deceased specimens from living pests that could erase their usefulness.
“We don’t offer tours as such,” director Whittaker says. “We do put together custom tours upon request, focusing on a specific interest – owls, for example.” Those interested in educational visits can email him at jwhittak@cord.edu to make arrangements.
The Concordia museum got its name in 2003, when it was christened in honor of Elsie Welter. The active birdwatcher, who died in 1994, traveled the region and the world in search of birds in their natural habitats. She also taught biology courses as an adjunct for more than two decades.
Wildlife project: While it’s illegal for most individuals to possess wildlife, volunteers may temporarily hold and transport recently deceased animals for scientific or educational study.
Whittaker advises that, when collecting specimens, people should use a plastic bag like a glove; don’t touch the animal or bird directly. Record where it was found, when it was found, who found it, and how it may have died. Then close the bag tightly and store it in a freezer as soon as possible.
To make a donation, contact Whittaker by phone, 218.299.3739, or email jwhittak@cord.edu. For more information on the Moorhead museum, search for ElsieWelterNaturalHistoryMuseum on Facebook or go to https://welter-museum.org//
