Wheeler Orchid Collection & Species Bank
General Information

Welcome to The Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank. The Collection, referred to as WOCSB, was originally donated to Ball State University in 1971 by W.O. and GoldieWheeler of Indianapolis. In 1982 , another large donation (over 600 orchids) was given by Al Thanhauser of Connecticut. As a designated Plant Rescue Center, WOCSB also receives occasional shipments of orchids that are imported illegally. Known for its diversity, The Wheeler Collection was historically well known as one of the finest of its type. After undergoing many changes, the Collection, currently comprised of over 1,200 plants, has continued to emphasize conservation and education by maintaining over 85 genera, represented by over 500 different species and over100 hybrid orchids.

The purpose of WOCSB is to conserve rare and endangered species of orchids, disseminate them for preservation, and utilize the Collection for research and education. Orchids are displayed in WOCSB with other tropical plants to give the visitor the impression of being in a small tropical environment. A terraced "mountain" and waterfall hint at the cooler, high-elevation rainforest environment and cloud-forest orchids that grow there. A display of tropical poison arrow frogs is included, as rainforest conservation is about both plants and animals.

While orchid diversity and adaptations are amazing, it is the very nature of their habitats that has provided for their diversity. Orchids grow in specialized habitats: rainforests, treetops, stream banks, rainshadows, cliffs and rocky meadows, even woodlands and wetlands. Orchids and their pollinators are represented in nearly every habitat type on earth. It is the loss of those habitats that is threatening the future of orchids and other plants worldwide. Collectors have been known to over-collect a particular species, thus extirpating it from the wild. Even our native terrestrial species are threatened by habitat loss, primarily from agriculture and urban development. It is collections such as The Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank that hope to serve as a genetic repository for species orchids, that they may not become extinct.

Research at WOCSB hopes to help with orchid conservation, and seed propagation of uncommon species is part of this effort.

Thank you for your visit. Your donation is always welcome and can help improve the species diversity of this orchid collection. Please come again. 

 Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank
Field Station and Environmental Education Center
c/o Department of Biology
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
(765) 285-8839
(765) 285-8820