Guy Stover Pit Cave Clean Up
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IKC UPDATE No 103 PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2011 INDIANA KARST CONSERVANCY, INC PO Box 2401, Indianapolis, IN 46206-2401 ikc.caves.org Affiliated with the National Speleological Society The Indiana Karst Conservancy is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of caves and karst features in Indiana and other areas of the world. The Conservancy encourages research and promotes education related to karst and its proper, environmentally compatible use. EXECUTIVE BOARD COMMITTEES / CHAIRPERSON GROTTOS & LIAISONS President Education/Outreach Bloomington Indiana Grotto* Dave Everton Jerry Lewis (2012) Don Ingle (812) 824-4380 (812) 967-7592 (see E-Board list) [email protected] Central Indiana Grotto* Web Technologies Keith Dunlap Secretary Bruce Bowman (317) 882-5420 James Adams (2012) (see E-Board list) (317) 518-8410 Dayton Underground Grotto Mike Hood [email protected] IKC Update Editor/Publisher (937) 252-2978 Keith Dunlap Treasurer (see E-Board list) Eastern Indiana Grotto Keith Dunlap (2012) Brian Leavell (317) 882-5420 Hoosier National Forest (765) 552-7619 [email protected] Jerry Lewis Evansville Metro Grotto* (see E-board list) Ernie Payne Directors (812) 477-7043 Bruce Bowman (2014) Buddha Property Manager (317) 539-2753 George Cesnik Harrison-Crawford Grotto [email protected] (812) 339-2143 Dave Black [email protected] (812) 951-3886 Dave Haun (2012) (317) 517-0795 Near Normal Grotto* Orangeville Rise Property Manager Ralph Sawyer [email protected] Steve Lockwood (309) 822-0109 (see E-board list) Don Ingle (2013) Northern Indiana Grotto* (812) 249-6985 Robinson Ladder Property Manager Jennifer Pelter (260) 456-3374 [email protected] John Benton (812) 389-2248 Everett Pulliam (2013) St Joseph Valley Grotto* [email protected] Mark Kraus (317) 745-7816 (574) 295-6673 [email protected] Sullivan Property Manager Keith Dunlap Sub-Urban Chicago Grotto Bob Sergesketter (2014) (see E-Board list) Gary Gibula (812) 482-5517 (630) 393-6746 [email protected] Wayne Property Manager Western Indiana Grotto* Robert Sollman Doug Hanna Bruce Silvers (2012) (812) 753-4953 (812) 208-4609 (260) 416-4197 [email protected] [email protected] Windy City Grotto Jack Wood Indian Creek CE Monitor Karen Silvers (2012) (773) 728-9773 Jerry Lewis (260) 249-0924 (see E-board list) [email protected] *grottos with liaison agreements Tom Sollman (2012) (812) 753-4953 MANAGED CAVES / PATRONS [email protected] Shiloh Cave Buddha Cave James Adams Carla Striegel-Winner (2013) Jeff Cody (317) 518-8410 (812) 367-1602 (317) 888-9898 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Suicide Cave Ronnie Burns Bob Vandeventer (2014) Lost River Cave (812) 883-7400 (317) 888-4501 [email protected] [email protected] Dave Tibbets (574) 875-8498 Sullivan Cave [email protected] Richard Vernier (2014) Bob Vandeventer (812) 385-5058 (see E-Board list) [email protected] Robinson Ladder Cave Wayne Cave John Benton Dave Everton Jamie Winner (2013) (812) 389-2248 (812) 824-4380 (812) 367-1602 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Cover: The main entrance to Buddha Cave on the IKC’s Buddha Karst Nature Preserve. Photo by Dave Everton (Fall 2010). DECEMBER 2011 PAGE 3 IKC UPDATE No 103 IKC QUARTERLY MEETING REMINDER SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10th, 2:00 PM EST BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA MONROE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, ROOM 1C The quarterly meetings are for the elected Board to conduct business, and for our members and other interested persons to participate and have an open forum to talk about caves and karst conser- vation and related topics. Past, present, and future IKC projects are discussed to solicit comments and input from our members and the caving community as a whole. The meetings are informal, and everyone is encouraged to attend and participate. The IKC Board wants your input. Preliminary Agenda Items: Summary of fall workdays at our preserves and future activities; Fi- nancial reports; Land acquisition activities; I-69 update; and more.... Rumor has it there will be an ad hoc Christmas cookie contest, so bring your favorite to share. Meeting directions: The Monroe County Public Library is located at 303 E Kirkwood Ave (two blocks east of the courthouse square in Bloomingont). On-street parking is limited to 2 hours, so park in the library’s lot or nearby bank lots (see www.monroe.lib.in.us/general_info/mcpl- bloomington-map.html for more details). The meeting rooms are one level down from the main entrance. ACTIVITIES CALENDAR Dec 10 – IKC Quarterly meeting (see above) Feb?? – IKC Directors meeting (data & location to be determined) March ?? – IKC Annual Business meeting (date & location to be determined) April ?? – Indiana Cave Symposium (date & location to be determined) For more information on the Indiana Karst Conservancy, visit our website at ikc.caves.org or write to our PO box. Membership to the IKC is open to anyone or any organization interested in supporting cave and karst conservation. Annual dues are $15. Please see inside the back cover for a membership application form or to make a much-appreciated donation. Donations can also be made by credit card using the donation button located on our website’s home page. The IKC Update, distributed for free, is published quarterly for members and other interested parties. The purpose of this newslet- ter is to keep the membership and caving community informed of IKC activities and other news related to cave/karst conservation. Submission of original or reprinted articles for publication is encouraged. IKC Update (ISSN 1076-3120) copyright © 2011 by the Indiana Karst Conservancy, Inc. Excluding reprinted material and indi- vidually copyrighted articles and artwork, permission is granted to National Speleological Society affiliated organizations to reprint material from this publication, with proper credit given to the author/artist and the IKC Update. Articles do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Indiana Karst Conservancy, the National Speleological Society, or their respective members. IKC UPDATE No 103 PAGE 4 DECEMBER 2011 RAMBLINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT... During the last few weeks we have been very bioinventory reports, as well as dozens of assess- busy working on a project for the Hoosier National ments for Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species Forest (HNF). In my work as a cave biologist, I’ve in several different forests (Hoosier, Shawnee, had a working relationship with the HNF for a long Mark Twain, et al), and most recently an assess- time, well over a decade. Looking at our (Salisa ment for subterranean ecosystems on the HNF. and mine) 2010 report on cave fauna of the HNF, These are all used for the purpose of assisting in I see that we’ve been to 167 caves scattered across the stewardship of the karst resources of the HNF. the forest service’s “purchase units” in 19 quad- Looking up at the wall in my office are some re- rangles extending from the Ohio River to Monroe minders of this journey with the Forest Service… County. These range from small holes (the HNF several plaques in recognition of regional honor has no defined size or length limits on what is con- awards and the certificates for my part in help- sidered to be a cave) to the immense Lost River ing with the video Caves: Life Beneath the For- Cave System. We’ve also looked at a number of est. I have very fond memories of the creation of springs, seeps, wells, drain tiles, mines, and any- this project, despite thinking I was going to die of thing else that might have heat exhaustion on a 98 de- a subterranean creature in gree day that my interview it. Many of these sites we was filmed at the entrance have visited repeatedly for to Dillon Cave. We’ve the purpose of retrieving found dozens of rare and pitfall traps and conduct- undescribed subterranean ing additional sampling, so species on the HNF. Al- I think it’s safe to say we’ve though most have gone to conducted hundreds of trips specialists in various fields into the caves of the HNF. of invertebrate zoology, I My relationship as a biolo- did describe a new species gist is now intertwined with of cave millipede endemic my role as President of the to the HNF that we discov- IKC, and most recently, as ered in Crawford County the IKC/HNF liaison. This relationship is merely and named after the karst coordinator at the time, punctuation of the volunteer work performed by Kelle Reynolds: Pseudotremia reynoldsae. In a IKC and Indiana Cave Survey personnel for over line of over-achievers, her successor Cindy San- 20 years in doing cave location work and resource deno, went on from her tenure here in Indiana to inventories on the HNF. become the national cave and karst advisor for the For anyone who has not been there, I would US Forest Service. It’s been a pleasure to work have to tell you that the Hoosier National Forest with such accomplished people. is a wonderful place. It is managed by the De- As we all know managing karst is a tricky af- partment of Agriculture (don’t let the “National” fair and Indiana’s landscape is, unfortunately, re- designation mislead you, this isn’t a national park) plete with failed examples. I have some concerns as a multi-use area that includes the harvest of about the new guidelines for the management of timber. There are numerous places designated karst that are being enacted on the HNF [editor: as “Special Areas” that receive additional con- see more details about this on page 5]. Changing servation management. The HNF straddles the the language of the forest plan to allow for cut- Crawford Upland, a region of rugged landscapes ting non-native pine plantations around caves is, with sandstone cliffs, limestone floored valleys, in my opinion, and excellent idea (and one that and caves and karst features galore.