MARCH 2015 • NEBRASKAland 45
1959, it was the first program of this
type in the nation and is supported by
a mixture of state and federal funds.
Fossils collected from state right-of-
ways belong to Nebraska's citizens
and are cared for by the University of
Nebraska State Museum. Studied by
students and researchers from around
the world, these remnants shed light on
projects focusing on evolution, climate
change and Nebraska's prehistoric past.
Tucker knows which regions
will more likely yield fossils, but
finding them is a combination of pure
chance and grinding dawn-to-dusk
work. Checking 150 to 200 highway
projects per year, Tucker and his
student assistant may juggle several
excavations at once, all hundreds of
miles apart. Discoveries are prioritized
and some won't be revisited until years
later. Extraordinary localities need
safeguarding, some requiring camping
expeditions in remote areas for weeks
at a time.
At it for 15 years, Tucker has stories
to tell of snakes, bobcats and other
Nebraska wildlife quietly conducting
their business around him. Mother
Nature shrugs at Tucker during
stifling heat, fist-sized hail, blizzards,
demoralizing wind and mud-stuck
trucks. Busier roads add traffic stress.
The vast majority of travelers zip past,
never to know what's being dug, but
a curious few stop with thoughtful
questions springing from true interest.
Tucker likes sharing what's known
about the find and digging in the
dirt can be lonely work, so they are
welcome.
Tucker's easygoing nature serves
him well in recurring conversations.
Kimball
