April 14, 2023

Nebraska Public Media, State Museum collaboration honored with Webby Award

Expedition Nebraska: A Virtual Natural History Experience

Expedition Nebraska: A Virtual Natural History Experience

In a collaboration between Nebraska Public Media Labs and the University of Nebraska State Museum, “Expedition Nebraska: A Virtual Natural History Experience” has been honored in the 27th Annual Webby Awards for Metaverse, Immersive and Virtual Experiences.

The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the internet.

“Expedition Nebraska” allows visitors to virtually travel back in time to prehistoric Nebraska and experience how it has changed over the millennia.

Introducing animals that lived during the millions of years before humans migrated to the land we now call Nebraska, the virtual journey begins in a courtyard set within a landscape resembling Nebraska’s Sandhills at sunset. Visitors can move around this space and others, encountering photogrammetrically rendered animal models, and triggering audio and illustrations.

Visit “Expedition Nebraska: A Virtual Natural History Experience” on the web here. Versions for mobile devices are available in the Apple App and Google Play stores, and for the Quest 2 VR headset in Meta’s App Lab and SideQuest stores.

Winners were selected for recognition based on “overall experience” as well as excellence in technology, public service and activism, media entertainment and more.

The 27th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 14,000 entries from all 50 states and more than 70 countries worldwide. Webby Winners are selected by IADAS, a global organization of industry experts and technology innovators.

Learn more information about the awards and expedition.