CCBER was formed in 2005 from a fusion of the Museum of Systematics and Ecology (MSE) and the ecological restoration program. Founded by the former Director, Wayne Ferren, the restoration program emerged from MSE's involvement in the study, preservation, and restoration of threatened wetland habitats in the vicinity of campus. The founders of the Herbarium and the Vertebrate Collections, Drs. C.H. Muller and Mary Erickson, respectively, and subsequent contributors to the botanical and zoological collections represent some of last century's leaders in ecology, behavior, plant structure, and the development of modern systematics. For over 60 years these valuable collections have contributed to the research and educational missions of the University.