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Annual Conservation Issue

Celebrating the International Year of and Welcome to the International Year of Caves and Karst! A Guide to Planning Virtual Events USA Feb-May, 2021—NSS Virtual Rescue Dr. George Veni, Series. Second and Fourth Wednesdays of the International Union of President month through the end of May, 2021. 8-10 pm (Eastern) on the NSS Zoom channel. Topics include patient perspectives, rescue pre-planning the world’s activities closed because of and operations, patient management, hazardous atmospheres, rescuer care, and more. To register COVID-19. for these talks, go to: tinyurl.com/4jzmz7et Below, find new directions on how you June 28-July 2, 2021—NSS Convention in and your clubs can create virtual IYCK events Weed, California. http://nss2021.caves.org/ and conduct other valuable activities safely August 6-8, 2021—Come to the 68th Annual during the pandemic. If you have your health, Indiana Cave Capers 2021 Edition! This year we are back at Crawford County 4H Fairgrounds a computer or phone, and some free time, near Morengo, Indiana, home of the 2007 NSS you can make important contributions to National Convention. This will be another great the advancement of speleology while staying Capers hosted by the Central Indiana safe at home. featuring access to some of the most rare and beautiful caves in Indiana. Enjoy camping, live For the first time in history, the global Visit the IYCK Website. The website music, banquet, speaker, prizes and more! speleological community is united in 2021 has a lot of general information about caves Watch for pre-registration discounts and more in one grand project, the International Year and karst. Share it with people so they can info coming soon. For more information, go to www.cigcaves.com. of Caves and Karst (IYCK). The main goal learn more. Go to the Download page for August 13 - 15, 2021—Karst-O-Rama, at Great of the IYCK is to teach the world about the the logo, leaflet, posters, and other materials Saltpetre Cave Preserve, Mt. Vernon, . many benefits of caves and karst. As I write to help you. You do not need special permis- We’re bringing Karst-O-Rama back! Great cave these words, the International Union of sion. The information is free and open to trips and camping, vendors, and a live band with a costume party pair with our sauna, hot Speleology (UIS) and its 55 member coun- everyone. Also, remember to share the UIS tub, creek splashing, and, of course, feeding tries are joined by over 150 international Facebook page. your thirst at the Guano Grill for three days of and national organizations as partners, and Understand the IYCK goals. The downright speleo-fun! This year’s theme has yet more organizations have told me they are purpose of the IYCK is teach the world about to be decided. KOR is hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Grotto with pre-registration discounts planning to join. Several of these partners caves and karst. Think about the best ways to and info available soon! For more information, are not cave organizations, which is a success reach people who need to know what spele- see our website at: karstorama.com/. in itself. Their alliance with the UIS proves ologists understand. If you organize meetings November 1-5, 2021—2021 National Cave that the IYCK is seen as broadly important, for cave explorers and scientists, that is good, and Karst Management Symposium (NCKMS 2021) will be held in San Marcos, TX, part of and not limited to speleologists. but it is important that they include the public the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Featuring Dale The greatest alliance came in too, or at least some influential people who Pate, NPS National Cave and Karst Program September, when the UIS was invited by need to learn about caves and karst. I’ll give Coordinator from 2007 to 2017 and Cave the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Specialist for Carlsbad Caverns National Park some examples below but remember to stay from 1991 to 2002, to speak at the banquet! and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to focused on the public. Learn about “Endangered , Endangered hold the Opening Ceremony of the IYCK at “International” does not always Caves, Endangered .” Field trips to local UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Speleology Some people think that caves and special access to local show caves! mean “big.” Glass-bottom boat tour of local ! T-shirt! has never had such a high international stage because this is the International Year, they Online pre-registration is open. Reserve your to reach large numbers of influential national need to plan big and complicated activities. hotel room for reduced rates in an arranged ambassadors and their governments and If you can do that, excellent! But many block of rooms at two hotels. More details at symposium2021.nckms.org show them how very important caves and times, several small activities can be better at karst are to their countries. reaching the public than one big event. The INTERNATIONAL Yet despite this success in partners, we UIS has said from the start that you should July 23-29, 2021—18th International Congress are challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. “do what you can.” No activity is too small! of Speleology, (Lyon, ), http://uis2021. Soon after we received the UNESCO invi- Use virtual tools. There are now many speleos.fr/ tation, Paris was declared a COVID “red ways to connect with people. Use teleconfer- zone”; thus, the Opening Ceremony was ence tools like Zoom to give lectures about Send items for the calendar to davebunnell@ held virtually on 26 January 2021. Watch caves and karst. Do you know teachers? comcast.net at least 4 weeks before desired month of publication (e.g., by April 1 for the May issue). the IYCK Website (www.uis-speleo.org) and Offer free lectures for their students about UIS Facebook page (https://www.facebook. caves. You can do the same for meetings of com/uisspeleo) for announcements about all non-speleological organizations. You can IYCK events. The UIS is now working with also record your voice in PowerPoint as you UNESCO to schedule an IYCK celebration give your lecture, then load it on YouTube Announcements...... 36 sometime later in 2021 as allowed by the or social media for download. Go out into President’s Message...... 37 virus. the karst with your camera or camera phone Underground Update...... 38 Over the past few months, I have and record a field trip that you can share. Classified Ads...... 39 received many messages from people who For a small amount of time and effort, you want to organize activities of the IYCK, but can reach hundreds or thousands of people Front cover: don’t know how because of the pandemic. this way over the year. “The Reindeer” by Florian Bachmann, One year ago, the UIS published a Planning from the 2020 NSS Photo Salon Guide to help our members and partners develop IYCK events. Two months later, concluded on page 39

2 NSS News, April 2021 POSTMASTERS OR MEMBERS: Send address changes to the National Speleological NSS News Society Office, contact information below. April 2021 National Speleological Society Office 6001 Pulaski Pike NW, Huntsville, AL 35810 Volume 79 Number 4 Tel: (256) 852-1300 e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://caves.org/ Please contact the office for address changes or back issues. Annual Conservation Issue—Editor, Val Hildreth Werker

NSS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Dare Mighty Things—Steward and Sustain...... 4 President Val Hildreth-Werker and Jim C. Werker Geary Schindel Bexar Grotto International Year of Caves and Karst: Many Partners, Many Events...... 4 San Antonio, TX George Veni [email protected] (210).326.1576 cell Meet Our 2021 USA Cave of the Year...... 5 Operations VP Administrative VP Matthew L. Niemiller and Gretchen M. Baker Maureen Handler Adam Weaver. Sewanee Mountain Grotto Paha Sapa Grotto San Antonio Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research...... 6 Sewanee, TN Rapid City, SD (423) 605-5569 (605) 545-5550 Andrew Gluesenkamp and Danté Fenolio [email protected] [email protected] Driftless Area Karst Conservation Task Force...... 9 Executive VP Secretary/Treasurer Dawn Ryan Scott Engel Kristine Ebrey Smoky Mountain Grotto Sewanee Mountain Grotto Puliamo il Buio 2020 – Let’s Clean Up the Dark in Knoxville, TN South Pittsburg, TN (225) 281-3914 (423)-991-3034 - Caves...... 10 [email protected] [email protected] Rosangela Addesso, Simona Cafaro, Ferdinando Didonna, NSS NEWS EDITOR Francesco Maurano Dave Bunnell, Ph.D. Box 879 Minimum-Impact Guidelines...... 13 Angels Camp, CA 95222 Val Hildreth-Werker and Jim C. Werker [email protected] Updated Cave Protection Laws on NSS Webpages...... 14 Please include “NSS News” in your subject line when e-mailing material to help me sort it from the spam. Thanks! Thomas M. Lera Questions about submitting features and photos? Please see the style and submission guidelines:on the NSS web site: NSS Cave Vandalism Deterrence Commission...... 14 https://caves.org/pub/nssnews/style.shtml Sarah Richards ADVERTISING Complete advertising information, including rate cards, mechanical Shocking Sale of “Calming” Calcite ...... 15 specs and deadlines is available online at Carlos Artiquez https://caves.org/pub/nssnews/ads.shtml New advertisers should contact Matt Bowers, NSS Director of Central Oregon Caves Graffiti Project: 2021 Update...... 16 Business Development at 209-529-9000 or [email protected]. Payments for ads should be sent to the NSS office. New Neil Marchington advertisers are expected to pay for ads prior to publication. 30 Years of Saving Caves...... 17 DEPARTMENT EDITORS Amber Lehmann ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR NEWSLETTER REVIEW Paleoclimatology Sampling in a California Cave...... 19 Gary Gibula Ian Reuter [email protected] 5560 Sierra Court Greg Roemer-Baer Rapid City, SD 57702 CONSERVATION [email protected] Responsible Sampling...... 21 Jim & Val Hildreth-Werker Sarah Truebe, PhD PO Box 207 CAVE CHRONICLES Hillsboro, NM 88042-0207 Philip Rykwalder Surface Vegetation Needs Conservation, Too: A Case Study of Roots in (575) 895-5050 [email protected] [email protected] Lava Caves, El Malpais NM, New ...... 22 SPELEAN SPOTLIGHT Kathleen Lavoie, Jessica Snider, Diana Northup Gary Gibula [email protected] Cave Preservation Network Spotlight: Bluff Dwellers Cave, Missouri.....24 Nicole Ridlen Deadline: Ads, articles, and announcements should be sent to the Reflections of a Conservationist ...... 26 editor by the 1st of the month, 1 month before the month of issue (e.g., material for the March issue needs to be in by Feb. 1). Ethan Oleson The NSS News (ISSN 0027-7010) is published monthly with the Members Manual and American Caving Accidents published as What It Means to Be a Member of a High School Cave additional issues by the National Speleological Society, Inc, 6001 Pulaski Pike NW, Huntsville, AL 35810. Periodicals Postage Paid at Conservation Club...... 28 Huntsville, Al and additional mailing offices. Tel: (256)852-1300, e-mail: Scout Jessop [email protected], web: http://caves.org/ Regular membership with electronic copy of NSS News in the Cave Restoration and Formation Repair Projects in Lechuguilla, NSS is $40 per year. Members may elect to receive paper copy of NSS NEWS for $10 per year. Please visit members.caves.org Cottonwood, and Fort Stanton Caves...... 29 for descriptions of other membership categories. Non member Mike Mansur Subscriptions to the NSS News are $36 per year. Individual copies are $3.00 each or 5 or more copies for $1.00 each. Contact the Fort Stanton Cave Formation Repair and Restoration Project: The Tools Huntsville office for membership applications, subscriptions, orders, or for replacement of issues missing or damaged in the mail. Moving? and Techniques We Used...... 32 Address changes can be made from your profile in the Account + Mike Mansur Settings tab- Profile tab, for assistance call the office. Spring Restoration Volunteer Value...... 34 Copyright ©2021 by the National Speleological Society Meredith Hall Weberg The Learning Must Go On! Conservation Education during COVID...... 35 Dave and Tracy Jackson

NSS News, April 2021 3 Dare Mighty Things—Steward and Sustain Val Hildreth-Werker and Jim C. Werker, NSS Conservation Joint Chiefs We dedicate this 2021 NSSNews tolls of COVID and the puzzling aftermath to harbor a daunting array of indicator Conservation Issue to the honor and syndromes and other pathogenesis will never values. Newly discovered spelean assets memory of those affected by the heart- truly return us to a pre-pandemic world. are explained in an ever-increasing volume breaking consequences of the COVID Working together to seize and surmount the of academic information. Caves hold data pandemic. May we continue to “dare challenges ahead, cavers continue to dare on past and present climates, extremophile mighty things” as we honor our caving mighty things and find new ways to protect and indicator species, vital karst ground- family and celebrate the International Year and sustain our underEarth. water quality, historic and prehistoric of Caves and Karst 2021. This is the year to reach out and cele- cultural remains. The fabric and fragments Theodore Roosevelt’s words, from his brate caves! Help engage the world in cave of natural history await discovery, cradled famous1899 speech in , still ring awareness throughout this International Year within spelean spaces. true for 2021: of Caves and Karst 2021. Accomplishments Cave exploration, survey, inventory, “Far better it is to dare mighty things, through speleological exploration are and cartography open portals to valuable to win glorious triumphs, even though progressing side-by-side with space explo- scientific stories of natural and cultural checkered by failure, than to take rank ration. We explore the mighty frontiers of processes. Surprisingly robust over eons, with those poor spirits who neither enjoy inner Earth as humankind spans the mighty yet delicately balanced on micro-ecological much nor suffer much, because they live reach to other planets. We celebrate both as scales, caves are birthed by the natural in the gray twilight that knows not victory NASA’s Perseverance rover safely begins a interdigitating processes of rock, water, nor defeat.” new era at Mars’ Jezero Crater to seek signs and microbial life. Earth’s cave passages, From March 2020, ‘round the of ancient life, collect and cache samples of features, and contents provide planetary seasons ’til now, was a year like no other rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for models for identifying and perpetuating in our living memory. Through the chaotic possible return to Earth, and demonstrate sustainable practices. We encourage all panoply of societal challenges thrust new exploration technologies as we strive to stay up-to-date and employ mini- forward by pathogens and pandemic, toward a future of more sustainable options. mum-impact caving protocols—all caves, several things are clear. Beyond balancing Caving encompasses conservation whether on Earth or beyond, deserve our every decision against the threats of getting and sustainability. Spelean systems archive careful, informed respect and stewardship. sick or infecting others, even when we are keys to sustaining life on Earth and clues to Know how to behave in a cave—see page again freely traveling, caving, and going potential life on other planets. They are the 13, this issue. See https://caves.org/ to speleo-gatherings, the lingering social sacred voids of Earth, appointed by nature conservation/cavingcode.shtml

and protection for caves and karst. It is simple New UIS Bulletin: Special to join. Just send your logo and website International Year of Cave and address to the address on the Partners page Karst Issue of the IYCK Website www.iyck2021.org You are welcome to visit the UIS and then send your event announcements Website www.uis-speleo.org and download The International Year of Caves as shown on the Events page. No event is Volume 62-2 of the UIS Bulletin. Available and Karst: Many Partners, Many too small. It is all important. to all! http://uis-speleo.org/wp-content/ Events When each event is completed, please uploads/2021/02/uisb622.pdf The International Year of Caves and send a short report to the Event Results page Karst (IYCK) is designed to teach people Nivaldo COLZATO (Brazil), on the website http://iyck2021.org/index. Adjunct Secretary / UIS Bulletin Editor around the world about caves and karst. It php/event-results/. This page provides links UIS-Union Internationale de Spéléologie is an event organized by the International to video lectures, news reports, and other Union of Speleology (UIS), but the UIS can’t information on the results of all IYCK events. reach the world alone, which is why we’re At the end of the IYCK, all the results will US Cave Laws Updated on NSS excited to have more than 150 national be compiled into one document that anyone Website! and international organizations partnering can use to demonstrate the global interest, with us. Excellent, useful reference tools! value, and support for caves and karst, which Check out revised reference materials and A growing number of events are sched- we believe will help us all find more support uled for the International Year of Caves and pdfs of US Cave Laws at https://caves. and funding for exploration, research, and org/conservation/laws.shtml. Karst. Find the full list at http://iyck2021. protection. (See more detailed info starting org/index.php/events/. Some are sched- Thanks to Tom Lera’s perseverance, on inside front cover of this issue). all federal cave protection acts, state cave uled throughout the year. If you missed Join us! http://iyck2021.org/. And visit our IYCK Opening Ceremonies, already and archaeology protection statutes, the UIS Facebook page https://www.face- and Puerto Rico cave and archaeology viewed by over 6,500 people, watch them book.com/uisspeleo, UIS Twitter account at https://www.youtube.com/channel/ protection statutes are accessible and https://twitter.com/uisspeleo, and/or the up-to-date via the NSS Conservation UCzSiErLj5x6viNbvAdehDvA. UIS Instagram page https://www.instagram. The most important thing is that more Web Pages. The extensive 2020 research com/uisspeleo/. and formatting efforts are recognized partners are joining us and posting events George Veni daily, and we ask you to be one of them. with an NSS Certificate of Appreciation President, International Union of to long-time NSS Conservation Team This is a unique chance to be part of a team Speleology and making a global impact to improve knowl- contributor, Thomas Lera. (See Updated Executive Director, National Cave and Cave Protection Laws in this issue). edge, and from there, appreciation, funding, Karst Research Institute

4 NSS News, April 2021 Meet Our 2021 USA Cave Animal of the Year Matthew L. Niemiller and Gretchen M. Baker; photos by Matthew

In 2021, the USA Cave Animal of the Are all Found in Caves Year program enters its second year. The Considered Troglobitic? program brings attention to the amazing With more than 400,000 described that live underground. Cave animals species, it is not surprising that many species call caves their homes. As cavers, we are the of beetles can be found in caves. Some visitors to these homes, and it’s good to get species accidentally wander or get washed to know our hosts a little better. into cave systems from the surface. Others What is the focus for 2021? The USA are common in caves but also are common Cave Animal of the Year is the cave ground on the forest floor or in other surface habi- , specifically cave beetles in the tats. Some species are guanophiles that feed Pseudanophthalmus alabamae from DeKalb Pseudanophthalmus. They are found on the guano of bats, raccoons, and other County, Alabama throughout much of the Appalachians and mammals. However, the truly troglobitic Interior Low Plateau karst regions of the species, such as Pseudanophthalmus cave tails, millipedes, and other , as eastern . beetles, are adapted for a life in complete well as small annelid worms that live in the Cave ground beetles are small beetles darkness and are found almost entirely in silt and mud along the banks of cave streams. in the family Carabidae. Many beetles live subterranean habitats. Cave ground beetles also have been observed and can be found in caves. However, cave scavenging on the carcass of a dead crayfish. ground beetles are troglobitic, which means Where Can I Find Them? that they are specialized for living in subter- Cave ground beetles are known from Protecting Cave Ground Beetles ranean habitats, including caves. caves and other subterranean habitats Because many cave Pseudanophthalmus is the most diverse throughout the Appalachians and Interior species have exceptionally small ranges (for group of cave beetles in the United States Low Plateau karst regions but are also known example, single-site endemics) they are at an with over 140 described species and at least from the Edwards Plateau and Balcones increased risk of extinction. Like other small 80 species new to science that are awaiting Escarpment, Ozark Highlands, California, invertebrates that occur in caves, they are taxonomic description. and the Hawaiian Islands. vulnerable to any threats that result in the Pseudanophthlamus cave beetles are degradation or loss of critical habitat, such Getting to Know Cave Ground known from cave systems in 10 states. as pollution, , and flooding of caves Beetles Although cave ground beetles are known associated with impoundments. Cave ground beetles are a diverse group from karst regions throughout the country, of generally small (3–7.5 mm) beetles that most species have very small ranges and Cave Animals Of The Year From are commonly encountered by cavers. These are known from just a few cave systems, Other Countries unique beetles lack eyes and flight wings including several that have been documented Countries that celebrate Cave Animal and are depigmented (generally amber in from just a single cave (single-site endemics). of the Year agreed to feature cave beetles color). They generally have long, slender However, it is not uncommon to find more to celebrate the International Year of Cave bodies and elongate legs and antennae. than one species in a cave system in parts and Karst 2021. If you’d like to learn about Most species have converged on a similar of Alabama, , Kentucky, , some additional cave beetles, you can find set of morphological adaptations for living and . links on our website for (Cave Rove in the darkness of caves and are exceedingly Cave ground beetles are most often Beetle), (Stammer’s italodytes), difficult to identify to species based on their encountered as they move along riparian (cave beetles in general), Switzerland (cave external appearance. Cave ground beetles zones along cave streams or in other areas beetle), (Arctaphaenops angulipen- are one of the top predators in terrestrial where organic material and their prey have nis), and . cave ecosystems. concentrated. They can be found actively searching for prey on silt and mud banks How You Can Participate Darlingtonea kentuckensis from Fletcher as well as underneath and within boul- We need your help spreading the word Spring Cave, Rockcastle County, KY der and cobble along cave about Cave Animal of the Year. First, visit the streams. Cave ground beetles website: https://caves.org/conservation/ have even been observed caveanimaloftheyear where you’ll find even on the ceilings of passages more information about caves as animal with active streams. Cave habitats, cave beetles, and last year’s Cave ground beetles are small and Animal of the Year, pseudoscorpions. Please can be difficult to find to the share the website address with friends and untrained eye. on your Grotto social media. If you’re lucky enough to find a cave beetle while caving, What Do Cave Ground help others see it and learn about these cave Beetles Eat? species. We invite you to make a photo of All cave ground beetles, it and post it on the USA Cave Animal of like most other carabid the Year Facebook page. Have another beetles, are predatory. They great year of learning about and helping to likely feed on the eggs of conserve habitat for the fascinating animals other as well as spring- that make caves their homes!

NSS News, April 2021 5 San Antonio Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research Andrew Gluesenkamp and Danté Fenolio; photos by Danté Fenolio San Antonio Zoo, 3908 N St. Mary’s Street, San Antonio, Texas 78212 [email protected]

Overview systematics, development and morphology, Texas Tetra Project San Antonio Zoo’s Center for and conservation management. Research Project Partner: University of Conservation and Research (SAZ CCR) and management projects cover a diversity Minnesota was established to further the San Antonio of organisms including fish, amphibians, The Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexica- Zoological Society’s mission to secure a place reptiles, crustaceans, and bats, as well as nus) is native to the Rio Grande and Nueces for wildlife by actively engaging in -on- imperiled ecosystems including the River drainages in South Texas. This species the-ground research. This is accomplished by rainforest, the deep ocean, caves, and karst. is widespread in spring fed rivers and streams providing guidance on conservation issues A team of four staff (a conservation manager in central Texas, likely as the result of “bait to policy makers; information dissemina- and three conservation technicians) are bucket” introductions beginning in the middle tion in the form of peer-reviewed papers, responsible for day-to-day operations, animal of the last century. Although Texas popula- books, technical reports, public outreach, care, and laboratory management, in addi- tions are derived from surface stock, this education, and popular media; as well as tion to assisting with project design, data species occurs in several cave and spring providing research opportunities, training, collection, field work, and outreach efforts. systems. The Texas Tetra Project seeks and guidance for both students and accom- Importantly, conservation staff develop to explore the evolutionary history of this plished researchers. species-specific care and husbandry proto- species in Texas. Ongoing efforts include Research and conservation projects cols for rare and endangered organisms. documentation of subterranean popula- span three continents and include field and Most of these are obscure subterranean tions and comparison of gene expression, laboratory studies; captive breeding and species for which there are no established morphology, physiology, and behavior husbandry of rare or imperiled species; husbandry or captive reproduction protocols. among cave and surface populations. collaboration with academic researchers, members of the private sector, local, state, Selected Programs and Projects Cooperative study and conserva- tribal governments, and federal agencies. tion of groundwater species in Our work is funded primarily by research Subterranean bioinventory work in Texas grants, contracts, and private donations. We – Chinese Working Project Partners: University of Texas at are fortunate to have recently received NSS Group Arlington, University of Texas at Austin, sponsorship of our efforts. In celebration of Project Partners: Chinese Academy Texas State University at San Marcos, the the International Year of Caves and Karst of Sciences, University of Alabama University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, http://iyck2021.org, the NSS has pledged - Huntsville, New Jersey Institute of United States Fish and Wildlife Service to cover the cost of feeding our laboratory Technology, and Louisiana State University The San Antonio Zoo Center for populations of cave organisms for one year. The goals of this effort are to survey Conservation and Research is developing We are immensely grateful for this thoughtful historic and new localities, formulate husbandry guidelines and reproduction proto- and generous gesture and we look forward conservation strategies, and clarify the cols for rare endangered species that inhabit to thanking y’all in person at the National systematics and of critically endan- the Edwards . Labs have been built Cave and Karst Symposium, to be held in gered Chinese cavefish and cave species from repurposed shipping containers on zoo San Marcus,Texas on November 1-5, 2021 new to science. One reason for the decline grounds. These are used to keep and breed https://symposium2021.nckms.org. of Chinese cave fauna is overuse and abuse federally listed species including the Texas The knowledge, experience, and dedica- of aquifers throughout southern China, a blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni), Salado tion of SAZ CCR staff are core to achieving problem we can relate to in San Antonio. salamander (E. chisholmensis), groundwa- our mission. Senior staff (Danté Fenolio, VP This project has resulted in the discovery of ter amphipods, and spring-inhabiting riffle and Andy Gluesenkamp, Director) both have several species new to science, and several beetles. These organisms live nowhere else extensive experience in ecology and evolu- peer-reviewed papers have been published on earth and, in addition to threats to their tionary biology, taxonomy and phylogenetic or are pending. habitat in the form or reductions in the qual-

Sinocyclocheilus furcodorsalis, , China

Right: Triplophysa huanjiangensis, Guangxi Huanjiang, China

6 NSS News, April 2021 Adult Grotto Salamander Georgia Blind Salamander (Eurycea spelaea) (Eurycea wallacei)

ity and quantity of groundwater, they suffer tory population of this species and efforts they are critically necessary. The quality of from a syndrome known as “out-of-sight, are underway to establish husbandry and the groundwater where these species exist out-of-mind.” In addition to our work with breeding protocols. Surveys for suitable is declining and wildlife authorities anticipate laboratory populations and field studies, habitat are underway at Amistad National the decline of the salamander owing to we are working with researchers from UT Recreation Area and at sites along the anthropogenic influences. Our program was Austin on eDNA surveys for rare and listed Devil’s River. Fieldwork in Mexico includes the first to breed both species in captivity. groundwater species. We are also collaborat- revisiting known sites and documenting new The husbandry and breeding protocols have ing with researchers from UT Arlington on a sites via cave and spring surveys as well as been published for the crayfish and are in genetic study of the Texas blind salamander eDNA sampling. We are also collaborating preparation for the salamander. (E. rathbuni) and recently received funding to on efforts to document the distribution and pursue rediscovery of the rarest salamander collect additional material of the toothless Development of husbandry and in the world, the Blanco blind salamander blindcat (Trogloglanis pattersoni) and the captive reproduction protocols for (E. robusta). Finally, we are collaborating on widemouth blindcat (Satan eurystomus) the Ozark Cavefish descriptions of two new species of salaman- from the Edwards Aquifer in and around Project Partners: University of Alabama ders from the Edwards Aquifer. San Antonio using drift nets, bottle traps, - Huntsville, United States Fish and and eDNA metabarcoding. Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy Mexican Blindcat Project – Blindcat This effort involved developing a Working Group Development of husbandry and research colony of the Ozark Cavefish Project Partners: National Park Service, captive reproduction protocols for (Troglichthys rosae) at SAZ CCR. The effort University of Texas at Austin Biodiversity Floridan Aquifer species started with the incidental take of several Collections, Zara Environmental LLC. Project Partners: University of individual fishes by way of road work in The Mexican blindcat ( phre- Alabama - Huntsville, Florida Fish and and quickly turned into this partner- atophila) is a rare subterranean Wildlife Conservation Commission, ing program with TNC and USFWS. Goals known from twelve sites in Coahuila, Mexico. Georgia Department of Natural Resources of this project include development of captive Our team recently documented two popula- This effort involved developing husbandry and breeding protocols for this tions in Val Verde County, Texas, marking a research colony of the Georgia Blind federally listed species. The long-term quality the first US occurrences of this species. This Salamander (Eurycea wallacei) and the of the groundwater where this species exists project seeks to determine the distribution, Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish (Cambarus is in question. Our program was the first to ecology, and conservation status of this cryptodytes) at SAZ CCR. Goals of this work with this species in captivity. Husbandry species by conducting fieldwork in the US project include development of captive protocols are being developed now. and Mexico. We maintain the only labora- husbandry and breeding protocols before

Female Cambarus cryptodytes in berry, the Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish

Mexican Blindcats, Prietella phreatophila

NSS News, April 2021 7 Ozark cavefish, Troglichthys rosae juvenile

Caecidotea macropopoda, an Cave bioinventory work and isopod from an Oklahoma cave monitoring of imperiled ground- water species in the Ozarks and Appalachians Project Partners: University of Alabama - Huntsville, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Nature Conservancy, Roger’s State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Missouri Department of Conservation, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources This 20-year-old project seeks to confirm historic localities, formulate conser- vation strategies, and clarify systematics of critically endangered species and species new to science. We survey known as well as unsurveyed cave systems and conduct bioinventories on behalf of state and federal wildlife agencies. This project also performs annual surveys of several federally endan- gered cave species.

Population ecology of the grotto salamander Project Partners: University of Alabama - Huntsville, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, The Nature Conservancy SAZ CCR is conducting long-term population ecology studies of the grotto sala- mander (Eurycea spelaea) in the Ozarks of Oklahoma. In the past, we have marked indi- viduals with acrylic elastomer and conducted stable isotope analysis to decipher the food webs in the cave streams where larval salamanders live. Populations are being monitored for change in abundance relative to the decrease in bat numbers because of infection with White Nose Syndrome. The species is listed as a species of concern in all states where it occurs. The project was initiated in 2001.

8 NSS News, April 2021 Celebrating the International Year of Caves and Karst: Driftless Area Karst Conservation Task Force Dawn Ryan,* DARK CTF Coordinator

The Driftless Area is one of the most interesting geologic regions in the Midwest and covers nearly 10,000 square miles in parts of Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. This karst terrain includes deep river valleys such as the Mississippi, sink- holes, caves and limestone bluffs providing scenic and recreational opportunities. It is also an important agricultural area where land use on karst can create a whole gamut of water quality problems. With this understand- ing and looking toward the International Year of Caves and Karst, we created the Driftless Area Karst (DARK) Conservation Task Force. We borrowed the concept from the Virginia Cave and Karst Trail (https:// www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/ vacavetrail), a feature that we visited during the 2019 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium in Virginia. The “trail” is promoted as a public outreach tool to educate the public on caves and karst features, with stops along the driving route at fee-based show caves, scenic views, and self-guided hikes. Turquoise Lake in Mystery Cave. Photo courtesy MNDR Representatives from the four states Conservation (DARK) partnerships with the sibility, free or fee based, dog friendly, and decided on approximately 10 existing karst National Speleological Society, National maps and photos of each site. resources for each state, designating sites of Park Service, Northeast Iowa Resource The University of Minnesota is provid- public interest that could include show caves, Conservation & Development (RC&D), ing free use of their Flyover Country App hikes to , springs, overlooks, and League of Women Voters of Jo Daviess (https://flyovercountry.io/). The mobile app museums that exemplify karst in their region. County, Illinois State Geological Survey, is designed for geoscience outreach and links Criteria for the sites require that they are Meredith Hall Weberg from the Virginia users with interesting landscape features. The open to the public, provide safe parking, Cave and Karst Trail, several state organiza- user chooses which DARK Discovery Area and have a relationship to the Driftless Area tions, and citizen scientists from Minnesota, to visit and downloads information from the karst. Grouped into “Discovery Areas” based Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. website about the discovery feature along on geographic location, these karst areas are This is truly a collaborative project with with GPS directions to their phone, and the featured on the DARK website and Flyover several organizations providing support and App works even if there is no cell service. Country App. resources integral to the effort. An example of a discovery area includes a The NSS is providing webhosting for the self-guided hike to Big Spring in Forestville/ Collaborators and DARK DARK Conservation Task Force. DARK’s Mystery Cave State Park, a tour of Mystery Partnerships website address is: driftless.caves.org. Cave, and a self-guided hike to Cherry Grove With help from our colleagues, The NPS Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Blind Valley Scientific and Natural Area, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Assistance Program is providing an intern which is the origin of the water flowing from hydrologist Jeff Green and Whitewater to develop the interactive website that will Big Spring in Forestville. State Park Interpreter, Sara Holger, we provide site interpretation and information were are able to create Driftless Area Karst such as, ease and time needed to visit, acces- Driftless Area Karst Discovery Routes 2021 and Beyond Big Spring in The Website and App are scheduled Forestville/Mystery to be active in March or April 2021. Once Cave State Park. everything is activated, we plan to keep the Photo courtesy Website and App available even after the end MNDR of IYCK2021 (See http://iyck2021.org).

* About the author: Dawn Ryan is a Life Member and Fellow of the National Speleological Society (NSS#50407) and Fellow of the . Ryan manages Mystery Cave in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park, Preston, Minnesota.

NSS News, April 2021 9 Puliamo il Buio 2020 – Let’s Clean Up the Dark in Pertosa-Auletta Caves Rosangela Addesso, Simona Cafaro, Ferdinando Didonna, Francesco Maurano

The Pertosa-Auletta complex is a karst Background Grotte di Pertosa-Auletta extend for a show cave system located near the villages Puliamo il Buio— Let’s Clean Up the total length of 3000 meters and are divided of Pertosa and Auletta, in the province of Dark, organized by the Italian Speleological into three main branches (Fig. 2). The middle , , Italy. This important Society every year since 2005, is an initiative and southern branches are decorated with karst site in southern Italy is protected within dedicated to the cleaning of underground abundant speleothems and respectively show a national park, Parco Nazionale del , environments throughout Italy. We provide both paleo (fossil) and active (spring) sites. In e . Pertosa-Auletta is documentation as evidence of the offenses, the middle branch there is a short path open included in the European Geoparks Network assess the danger and degree of damage, to the public. for its important geological and cultural heri- propose possible remedies to the public Our cleaning activities took place in the tage. In 1998, the park and several ancient and local administrations, and coordinate tourist branch, represented on the plan map Greek towns became a UNESCO World the cave clean up events. Clean up the Dark from point 1 to 5 (Fig. 2). About 800 meters Heritage Site. follows the footsteps of international “Clean long, this section is characterized by a succes- Although the cave receives routine main- up the World” events, which are coordinated sion of large rooms adorned with imposing tenance, its management body, Fondazione in Italy by the Legambiente Associazione speleothems and morphologies that cover MIdA (Musei Integrati dell’ Ambiente), (League for the Environment, a not-for-profit the ground almost completely. dedicated a day to evaluate conservation environmental association). concerns that had escaped attention during The Program the usual cleaning activities in cave. The goal The Site The event was organized in five phases: was to identify new strategies and actions Pertosa-Auletta is among the most 1. Present cave descriptions and guide- to enhance sustainable management of the important karst springs in southern Italy. lines for cleaning activities in the show show cave. Activities focused on mitigat- Aspects of scientific importance include the cave. ing trash left along the cave pathways and karst phenomenon, hydrogeology, archeol- 2. Organize work groups and distribute exploring methods to decrease future litter- ogy, and speleo-biology. Pertosa-Auletta also forms to complete during cleaning ing in the cave. The over-arching objective constitutes a significant economic reality in activities (document typology, quantity, of this ongoing project is to safeguard and the territory, being a tourist site since the and collecting area of objects). conserve the cave ecosystem. middle of the last century. The main entrance 3. Conduct small group conversations Thanks to the help of twenty-eight to the karst cavity, located in the left bank on Sustainable Development Goals in speleologists (Fig. 1) from three different of the River, opens at 263 meters Italian Speleology. regions in the south of Italy (Campania, above mean sea level along the western slope 4. Perform cave cleaning activities in , and Puglia) and seven speleo- of the Alburni Mountains. work groups. logical groups (Gruppo Speleo Alpinistico Thanks to the efforts of many spele- 5. Discuss data collections and final Vallo di Diano, Gruppo Speleo Melandro, ologists engaged in various exploratory reports from each group. Gruppo Speleologico Natura Esplora, campaigns, both the and the Gruppo Speleo Archeologico Vespertilio, surface topographical survey are well The Guidelines for Cleaning Centro Altamurano Ricerche Speleologiche, defined. Initial exploration of the cavity and Activities in the Show Cave Gruppo Speleologico Castel di Lepre, a first survey was carried out in 1924 by SME • Collect all solid and liquid waste Gruppo Speleologico CAI Napoli), together (Società Meridionale di Elettricità) to enable dispersed in the cave environment, with MIdA staff, we were able to identify, exploitation of water resources. In 1952, especially those of organic origin (for document, and remove many objects left the IGM (Istituto Geografico Militare) did a example paper, cloth, etc.). in the cave due to tourist activities. We precision survey of the entire cavity, with a • Separate waste, if possible. accomplished meticulous trash retrieval first relief published by Lieutenant Dutto. • Remember to thoroughly look in the and cleanup outside of trail boundaries and Various survey and exploration expeditions ravine and niches of the rock. from the ravine where tourists pitched their conducted by the GS-CAI Napoli (Gruppo • Always move with caution. Avoid unwanted items. Speleo Club Alpino Italiano Napoli) acquired damaging speleothems and surfaces. more details over time. • Always operate with safety first in mind. • Use clean gloves and clothing. • Catalog, photograph, and define quan- tities of all the found objects. • Communicate with the managers and suggest solutions to minimize the phenomenon of the abandonment of materials (tourist trash) in the cave. • Before the in-cave activity, reread the “Protocol for Minimum-Impact Speleology” by Val-Hildreth Werker and Jim C. Werker. See Minimum- Impact Caving Guidelines (https:// caves.org/conservation/cavingcode. Figure 1: 28 cavers who participated in the cleanup shtml).

10 NSS News, April 2021 Figure 5: an old flashcube covered in calcite Figure 2: map showing the 3 branches of the cave

Take with you: Sustainable Development was approved with • gloves the definition of the 17 sustainable develop- • bags ment goals and the 169 sub-goals, aimed • brush and dustpan at ending poverty, fighting inequality, social • bubbish pick-up stick, a tool with exten- and economic development, and nature sion to reach off trail conservation. • hammer, chisel, trowel (tools for care- Achieving the SDGs requires collabora- fully removing objects calcified into tions among governments, institutions, the cave surfaces, after thoughtful inspec- private business sector, civil society, and tion and do-no-harm evaluation) citizens to ensure a better planet for future • mini vacuum cleaner generations. • spray bottles with water, brushes with Based on 131 available indicators that soft bristles, and sponges to catch allow coverage of 105 of the 169 SDG excess water (when cleaning human sub-objectives, Italy has currently achieved Figure 3: electrical cable remnants calcited 12 of the 2030 objectives and our nation is impacts from cave surfaces) into surfaces close to accomplishing other objectives. For What Did We Find in the Cave? The Sustainable Development example, throughout Italy we have already In all cave areas, we found remains of Goals in Italian Speleology achieved the targets for sanitation, access to electrical cables, especially near the electrical During the “Clean Up the Dark” day clean electricity and fuels, and percentage and monitoring stations; some of these were at Pertosa-Auletta, the Italian Speleological of land area covered by trees (targets 6.3, calcited into cave surfaces (Fig. 3). Society (SSI) organized a workshop to 7.1 and 15.1). However, some challenges Numerous plastic objects were collected, explore and understand global development remain; Italy is still a long way off with objec- in some cases covered by calcite (Fig. 4). issues, and to help us prepare for wide- tives relating to teacher training, violence Other objects found: coins, clothing, spread promotion during the Interna-tional against women, and the national percentage light bulbs, corrugated pipes, nails, iron, Year of Caves and Karst 2021. We specifi- of young people not in ed-ucation, employ- chewing gum, electrical tape residues, old cally discussed the relationships between ment, or training programs (objectives 4.c, flashes ... (Fig. 5) show caves, speleology, and sustainable 5.2 and 8.6). However, the really big chal- development goals. lenge is a knowledge-based transition to The Sustainable Development Goals Suggestions for Show Cave sustainable development. (SDGs) are 17 goals agreed upon by 150 Management The workshop was based on these 5 • Sensitize tourists (at the entrance!) international leaders from the United discussion points: about the abandonment of waste in Na-tions Organization in September 2015. 1. Formulate the way in which Italian the cave. Each goal fits three overarching catagories: Speleology contributes to the SDGs; • The cave guides must collect waste to contribute to global development; to 2. Identify common contributions to insti- along the walking paths. promote human well-being; and to protect tutions and to the public; • Plan at least two events per year for the environment. The 2030 Agenda for 3. Increase the visibility of the importance cleaning the underground environment. of karst and caves; • It is necessary to schedule reconnais- 4. Improve the involvement of speleolo- sance of the lighting system. Verify the gists and increase the possibilities of functioning of the lamps and remove or support for protection actions; replace worn or degraded appliances. 5. Present the results on the occasions of • All waste produced from cave main- the 70th Anniversary of the SSI and tenance works must be transported at events of the International Year of outside of the cave environment. Caves and Karst 2021. • If work in the cave is carried out by external companies, it is necessary to In particular, we identify the following remind the workers and supervisors of goals within the SDGs to aid in formulat- the absolute prohibition of abandoning ing the ways in which Italian Speleology waste. and caves contribute to the international Figure 4: Plastic objects collected were often covered in calcite. Sustainable Development Goals.

NSS News, April 2021 11 SDG 3: To ensure health and well- together from many scientific disciplines to SDG 17. Strengthen the means of being for all ages; cooperate in studies of the impacts of climate implementing the objectives and renew Our focus group identifies that caves and change in cave environments, fluxuations the global partnership for sus-tainable speleology contribute to the goal through: in spelean microclimates, documenting development; speleotherapy, thermal baths in caves (Grotta biodiversity variations, and investigating In reading this document, we are Giusti https://www.grottagiustispa.com). paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental recon- contributing to the goals of partnerships Cave visits also can enhance physical health structions from cave concretions. for sustainable development. As SSI and and mental balance for all ages. the speleological community, we believe SDG 14. Conserve and sustainably use in meetings (national and international), SDG 4. Provide quality, equitable, the oceans, seas and marine resources relationships/partnerships with other and inclusive education and learning for sustainable development; speleological organizations, touristic cave opportunities for all; Speleologists investigate the Importance associations, schools, public education Speleology contributes constantly to of marine caves and coast monitoring, study services, national and regional Parks, and general public educational outreach and, in marine bio-speleology, and promote citizen local authorities. An important moment for some cases, caving groups include educa- science contributions on marine caves and sharing these goals will be Speleo Kamaraton tion as part of their established objectives. groundwaters (https://phreatic.org/). 2021 International Meeting of Speleology Examples include: speleology courses (I-II-III (http://www.speleokamaraton.eu/). level); guided excursions; museum collabo- SDG 15. Protect, restore, and promote rations; conferences/conventions; events sustainable use of terrestrial ecosys- Advancing the United Nations (inlcuding speleo diversity events for people tems, sustainably manage for-ests, Sustainable Development Goals with disabilities); outreach campaigns, such combat desertification, halt and The strength of the Italian speleological as “The water we will drink” (http://www. reverse land degradation, and halt community vision is enabled by: acquacheberremo.it/); project planning biodiversity loss; • The interconnected speleological (PON, POR, LIFE), schools/didactics proj- Caves are ecosystems with relevant community; ects, documentation and scientific study; genetic diversity. Speleology contributes • Excellent experience and local cave cadaster/library/publications; steward- to the conservation of biodiversity through knowledge; ship outreach; participation in exhibitions/ appropriate cave protection measures, regu- • Trust and common goals. fairs; training events; all with total respect lar monitoring, and official descriptions of These strengths must be used to for gender equality. new species. The bio-speleological research promote the conservation of caves and karst of the Italian speleological community and in the broader perspective of the Sustainable SDG 6. Ensure the availability and SSI advance the study of biodiversity in Development Goals. sustainable management of water and underground habitats (https://animalidi- sanitation facilities for all; grotta.speleo.it/). SSI maintains a catalogue References Speleologists and cavers contribute of the fauna in natural and artificial caves https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ constantly to: monitoring, surface and cave throughout Italy. As well, SSI supports the VdHK POSITION PAPER SUSTAINABILITY: exploration; exploration and monitoring and protection of bat colonies, Contribution of German cave and karst survey, hydrogeology studies; “Clean Up the and advocates specific cave access protocols research to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030) Dark” actions (https://www.puliamoilbuio. in collaboration with bat specialists. UIS Bulletin Volume 60-1 - July 2018 :Cave it/). In many areas, cavers are the guardians For SSI, it is important to protect caves Protection at the Highest Level: UIS Engaged of the underground and of the karst waters. and cave life by including underground habi- in “UN Global Sustainable Development Goals” tats in the environmental conservation laws By Bärbel Vogel (Germany) - UIS Adjunct SDG 8. Promote sustained, inclusive, of the European Community. Supporting Secretary and sustainable economic growth, the protection of these biotopes is often Hildreth-Werker V, Werker JC, 2006. Do Cavers fundamentally based on the presence of Need a Code of Conduct? [Minimum Impact full and productive employment, and Code of Ethics for Caving]. In: Hildreth- decent work for all; bats that use cavities for hibernation; in Werker V, Werker JC, editors. 2006. Cave Caves are also an important economic fact, they are protected in accordance with Conservation and Restoration. Huntsville, resource for tourism and valorization of the Directive 92/43 / EEC of 21 May 1992 Alabama: National Speleological Society. p territory. Speleology assists this economic on the conservation of natural habitats and 266. [Chapter pp 263-267.] process and enhances balance in the sustain- wild fauna and flora (Directive Habitat). Hildreth-Werker V, Werker JC, editors. 2006. able conservation of natural and cultural If the caves are identified as HABITAT and Restoration. Huntsville, Alabama: National Speleological Society. xiv+ resources. Moreover, speleology offers of Community Interest (tourist caves are 600 p. [Honored in the U.S. and Australia with training for job opportunities in multiple excluded), and the species living in the caves several awards, the volume contains a wealth disciplines including rope access integrated are safeguarded based on their presence of detail from 46 contributors describing tools services, tree-climbing, internships in speleo- or absence in the Annexes of the Directive and methods for cave conservation manage- logical sciences and resource management, as species of community interest, the cave ment, restoration, and speleothem repair.] work-study jobs, educational cave tour inno- and its fauna are considered protected Available at the NSS Bookstore https:// vations in the outdoor sector, as well as tours ecosystems. members.caves.org/store/default.aspx to mines and museums. SSI supports these protection initiatives ISBN 1-879961-15-6 by structuring regional cave registers that SDG 13. Take urgent action to combat report protection status. These registers are a climate change and its impacts; fundamental tool that competent authorities Speleology contributes to monitoring use in land and resource management of the climate changes. The speleological commu- territory (https://speleo.it/catastogrotte/). nity is very sensible in promoting plastic-free, sustainable product use. Speleologists come

12 NSS News, April 2021 Minimum-Impact Caving Guidelines (How to Behave in a Cave) Val Hildreth-Werker and Jim C. Werker (Revised Feb 2021)

These guidelines encourage practices • Avoid isolated pools. • When movement requires handholds, that minimize negative impacts to caves. As • Limit scratching skin and hair. Tens of look first to avoid delicate features more is learned about cave environments, thousands of skin fragments and debris and use small points of contact for cavers evaluate and redefine caving conduct. fall from each human body every hour. balance (knuckles or fingertips) rather Compiled from the experiences and contri- Reduce introductions of new matter than dirty open palms. butions of many cavers, these guidelines into cave systems. • During survey and exploration, estab- describe safe, low-impact caving techniques. • Remove all solid and liquid wastes. lish pathways on durable surfaces to Avoid damaging cave resources—aesthetic, Carry an emergency pee bottle and minimize future impacts. cultural, paleontological, geological, hydro- burrito kit. Carry out all urine, feces, • Point out unsafe or damaging logical, mineralogical, meteorological, spit, vomit, and other waste. behavior. It’s every caver’s responsi- biological, as well as microbial. Move gently • Avoid dropping crumbs and food bility to ensure that cave environments and be good stewards. Think safety—take particles. Eat over a plastic bag. remain as pristine as possible and that care of yourself and your team. Take care Carry out crumbs and debris. Don’t every team member is safe and aware of the caves! eat on the move. of conservation ethics. It’s okay to • Each caver wears a helmet with a light • If you light a candle, catch the wax speak up and say, “Keep still, don’t attached. Each caver carries water, drips on a suitable base such as heavy move, or stay away.” food, a bottle for urine, and three foil. • Take nothing from caves. Removal sources of light with extra batteries. • If carbide is allowed, carry the spent of natural or historical items is unethical • Use freshly washed cave packs, carbide out of the cave in sturdy plastic and illegal unless you have a collec- vertical gear, boots, gloves, knee-pads, bottles with threaded lids. tion permit for authorized research. helmets, and lint-free clothing to avoid • Stay on established trails. Sit inside (Recently deposited trash usually transfer of mud, dust, and microbes the trails. Keep packs and other items should be removed—always carry between cave environments. within the path. Don’t stray off the extra plastic bags, and employ safety • Follow current WNS decon proto- most impacted pathways. precautions. First check with cave cols at https://caves.org/WNS/ or • Move carefully and gently through the managers, archaeologists, biologists, https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org entire cave—avoid kicking up dust. and historians before making decisions • Use footwear with nonmarring/ • Spot each other on climbs. Safety about large items or cultural materials.) nonmarking soles. first—maintain three points of contact. • Leave nothing in caves. Never leave • Use soft or padded cave packs. Avoid • Always spot each other in fragile your mark on cave walls. No graffiti. No hard-edged boxes. Choose gear that areas. Especially watch heads, backs, signatures or drawings. No trash. No is smaller, lighter, and more compact. hands, feet, and packs. In areas of waste. Leave no evidence of your visit. • Protect cave location data. Never low hanging formations, ask spotters • Cave safely … Cave softly ... and post or publish coordinates or instruc- to watch. Remove helmet to improve leave no trace. tions for finding cave entrances. body control. Move gently. Intentional vandalism and uninten- • Maintain special care and gentle Permission is granted to share, repost, tional ignorance destroy many cave control of movements when lingering reprint, or use these bullet points to build resources. Unauthorized sharing of in a fragile area for survey, science, or protocols for specific caves or cave regions. cave locations can be a prosecutable photography. Access updated guidelines on Conservation federal or state offense. • Touch as little as possible. Avoid Division pages of the NSS Website at • Never disturb bats or other cave- leaning on walls, ceilings, or speleo- https://caves.org/conservation/cavingcode. dwelling creatures. Watch for insects thems. Don’t sit on formations. Look shtml and avoid crushing them underfoot. and avoid trampling floor deposits. • Avoid touching microbial mats. Do not disturb geomicrobial communities living in a cave. • No smoking or use of tobacco in caves. No campfires in caves or near cave entrances. Smoke and fumes can kill bats, invertebrates, and other cave- dwelling animals. • No recreational drugs or alcohol while caving. Mental and physical impairment puts the cave and the team at risk. • Wear gloves. Check gloves for mud, dirt, and holes. • Don’t enter pristine areas with muddy or dusty garments and gear. Know Honorable Mention which areas require clean clothes, 2020 Photo Salon shoes, and gear. Florian Bachmann

NSS News, April 2021 13 Updated Cave Protection Laws on NSS Webpages Thomas M. Lera

The pandemic has increased our time at Location Information is release of information on archaeological sites in home allowing us to complete projects once Protected by Law their public record, or Freedom of Information started but put aside for various reasons. A Some states’ cave protection and open (FOIA) laws. In cases where confidentiality of project I had undertaken was updating the cave record laws do not contain specific language archaeological sites is not mentioned in either protection laws section on the NSS Conservation exempting the site locations from open records the state archaeological protection law or the Pages of the NSS Website. In 2000, I posted requests. Instead, they include vague state- open records law, the FOIA laws contain clauses “A Summary of Legislation and Organizations ments indicating information protected by law saying information protected by Federal or other Involved in the Preservation of Caves and Bats” is confidential. Of the twenty-eight states with statutes is exempt from public release. which included a summary and the actual text of cave protection statutes, Hawaii, Maryland, and The Cave Laws Webpages list the state Federal and State laws instrumental in protecting Virginia are the only three states that currently statutes but not the individual state regulations caves and bats. specifically protect cave location information. promulgated by the responsible department, A lot has changed in the last 20 years. There In Hawaii, the Cave Protection Law requires such as the Department of Conservation and has always been a wide and growing variety confidentiality of cave locations. The Freedom Natural Resources, Department of Historic of laws at all levels of government protecting of Information laws in Maryland and Virginia Resources, and so on. Should you need these caves and karst. Now there are countless city specifically exempt cave locations from public resources, contact the appropriate office. I hope and county ordinances with regulations in release. you find this information useful in your research. force protecting surface and ground waters as Archaeological sites are protected by law well as endangered species. They also include and contain artifacts that can be used to inter- Editor’s note: Excellent, useful reference codes or statutes that establish parks, as well as pret and reconstruct the culture and history of tools. Thanks to Tom Lera’s perseverance, prehistoric and historic sites. an area’s past inhabitants as well as its natural all federal cave protection acts, state cave history. In addition, some archaeological sites and archaeology protection statutes, and U.S. Cave Protection Laws, located on private property, especially earthwork Puerto Rico cave and archaeology protection Statutes, Regulations mounds built by America’s indigenous peoples, statutes are accessible and up-to-date via the After five plus weeks of detailed research, are protected by trespassing laws. NSS Conservation Webpages. The exten- I have revised and updated the section on cave While archaeological sites are protected in sive 2020 research and formatting efforts protection laws, https://caves.org/conserva- all states, the laws vary from state to state. Some are recognized with an NSS Certificate of tion/laws.shtml. It now includes almost 250 archaeological protection laws include a clause Appreciation to long-time NSS Conservation pages of up-to-date Federal, State, and Puerto protecting site locations (for example, West Team contributor, Thomas Lera. Rico cave resource protection acts along with Virginia and Wisconsin), while others exempt their archaeology protection statutes. Each State and Puerto Rico has a link to their current laws NSS Cave Vandalism Deterrence prevent access to any cave. and/or statutes. Commission Dumping, littering, disposing of, or Statutes are basically laws passed by The National Speleological Society, Inc. otherwise placing any refuse, garbage, legislatures and often outline general guidelines offers a reward for information that leads to dead animals, sewage, or toxic substances authorizing agencies to develop the specifics of the legal conviction of cave vandals anywhere harmful to cave life or humans in any cave process and enforcement. Agencies and their in the United States. or . departments are part of the executive branch of Anyone who visits a cave assumes Removing, killing, harming or otherwise state and federal governments and are tasked responsibility for its protection and preser- disturbing any naturally occurring organisms with the execution of the law. They have exper- vation. Reward potential or not, the NSS within any cave. tise in their field and are expected to be better strongly encourages everyone to report any Excavating, removing, destroying, injur- equipped to develop the details of how a law suspected act of vandalism immediately, with ing, defacing, or in any manner disturbing will operate. as much detail as possible (date, description any burial grounds, historic or prehistoric Regulations can be enforced by citations, of offense, offending person(s), and other re- sources, archeological or paleontologi- fines, and other forms of discipline just as easily details). cal site or any part thereof, including relics, as statutes. They can have a bigger effect on The NSS will consider a reward of $250 inscriptions, saltpeter workings, fossils, organizations than statutes because they are to $1,000 for information leading to a local, bones, remains of historical human activity, more detailed. state, or federal conviction of any person (or or any other such features which may be There are valid reasons for laws, statues, persons) for acts of cave vandalism. found in any cave. and regulations restricting access to some Breaking, breaking off, cracking, carv- Application for this reward must be information, such as locations of caves and ing upon, writing on, burning, or otherwise made within three months of such conviction. archaeological sites. Caves contain valuable marking upon, removing or in any manner The NSS Cave Vandalism Deterrence mineral specimens, fragile important ecosys- destroying, disturbing, defacing, marring, Commission can help guide you in address- tems, and can be dangerous if visitors are or harming the surfaces of any cave or any ing cave vandalism situations: inexperienced or unprepared. Karst areas, which natural material which may be found therein, Sarah Richards, Chairman are landscapes associated with caves, are also whether attached or broken, including NSS Cave Vandalism Deterrence Reward important sources of drinking water in many speleothems, speleogens, and sedimentary Commission areas of the United States. deposits. Email: [email protected] Breaking, forcing, tampering with, or For more information, see https:// otherwise disturbing a lock, gate, door, or caves.org/conservation/ and click on Help other obstruction designed to control or Stop Vandalism.

14 NSS News, April 2021 Shocking Sale of “Calming” Calcite Speleothems Carlos Artiquez, Puerto Rico Julissa Zoé Corporán

Formations for sale at a department store in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico Julissa Zoé Corporán

Three images by Salvador Lugo show some of the underground treasures of Puerto Rico. legality of having such items for sale. The is also an encouraging example of the need governmental agency quickly ordered the to take immediate action when faced with withdrawal, prohibiting their sales display of similar challenging situations that involve speleothems and cave calcite. cave conservation. The eventual withdrawal was also influenced by two letters that were quickly delivered to Marshall’s by the Speleological Society of Puerto Rico (SEPRI) and collec- tively by all the local caving organizations united as The Speleological Federation of Years ago on a visit to the Dominican Puerto Rico (FEPUR). The letters expressed Republic, I was shocked to see sculptures concern that sale of these calcite fragments made from offered for sale by a of cave formations might incite destruction street vendor. Upon seeing my curiosity the and vandalism of local caves. vendor approached me hoping for a possible All the fragments were labeled by their sale, but I gently refused and I explained to distributors as “cave calcite” and attributed him that I explore caves and was involved in misleading mystical qualities to the offending cave conservation. As I walked away, l hoped pieces on display, claiming the calcite has the that my explanation would help him seek out ability to reduce “fear and stress.” a different way to express his obvious talent, As cavers, we all know about the one that would not result in cave destruction. emotional, physical, and psychological I remembered that encounter, when benefits of caving. You forget about your recently Julissa Zoé Corporán caused an problems. We enjoy present-moment- uproar on social media among local cavers awareness. You forget about the past and and conservationists. She shared photos of your anxiety about the future disappears. You the sales pitch for fragments of calcite cave have a great workout, enjoy the challenges, formations on display at Marshall’s depart- and bond with friends. But you can’t enjoy ment store in Mayaguez. There are several these benefits by bringing home chunks of Marshall’s outlets here in Puerto Rico. cave calcite and destroying a beautiful cave Corporán documented the visit with in the process. photos and video, and she registered a So we want to thank everyone involved complaint with the Natural Resources in this mission that helped create awareness Environmental Protection Agency, which of the need to protect our caves and our promptly initiated an investigation into the environment. This success in rapid response

NSS News, April 2021 15 Central Oregon Caves Graffiti Project: 2021 Update Neil Marchington

Partnerships In 2019, we started a major partnership with a local tour company, Wanderlust Tours. Owner Dave Nissen and his crew provided Pick Drew volunteer staff and additional funding to tackle bigger caves. We purchased better Garrett Hampton Garrett protective equipment and more air hose to work deeper into the passages. Over five grueling days, we removed all the graffiti from 1800 feet of passage at Boyd Cave in Central Oregon. The cave is the third most Problem: layers of painted graffiti visited cave in Oregon with thousands of people going through each year. The US Forest Service manages the cave as a recre- In 2013, I got an e-mail about a grant ational site. Much of the cave was painted Solution: Careful use of sandblasting, on opportunity. I’d been contemplating putting floor-to-ceiling, up to 8 feet off the ground. bedrock lava with no speleothems together a sandblasting trailer similar to In November 2019 we completely finished Ray Keeler’s rig used in Arizona and Utah removing decades of graffiti on top of graffiti. sary to give careful attention to removing for a few years. I witnessed first-hand how The cave looked amazing. A casual visitor sandblasting media. sandblasting removed graffiti in Peppersauce would think they were visiting a pristine cave. I frequently get asked questions about Cave (AZ) and in Bloomington Caves (UT). I had big plans to start graffiti removal in impacts from the graffiti cleanup. We use a The results are impressive. These party caves additional caves in March of 2020. COVID- blast media made of crushed rock which is coated in unfortunate graffiti were brought 19 shutdowns interrupted. chemically inert and nearly identical to the back to an amazingly clean state by volun- In October 2020, I finally got clearance lava which makes up the cave walls and soil. teers. I wanted to see similar work done in to start graffiti removal again. Boyd had We also recover most of the blast media and the Northwest and beyond. This grant, from some new minor graffiti here and there, graffiti-paint flecks on tarps. We locate the a private foundation in Oregon, seemed like which a small team removed completely in gas compressor away from the cave entrance a start. I put together a budget based on half-a-day. so fumes do not go into the cave. The dust the equipment list Ray sent me, and started produced is substantially the same as the down a long road. The Oregon High Desert Major Graffiti Vandalism Incident dust which naturally occurs in our dry, high Grotto and Western Cave Conservancy were In late December 2020, I got reports desert caves. We also have site-specific buffer partners in a big new project! that a major graffiti vandalism incident had zones around bats, designated in partnership happened at Boyd Cave. I started investigat- with bat biologists. We don’t work in close Grant Funding for a Graffiti ing what happened (I’m a Deputy Sheriff) proximity to bats or wildlife. Sandblasting Mitigation Rig and organized a reward fund and media does have impacts that result from how the The initial grant was awarded for outreach program to get the word out. USFS work is done and what is being blasted. Our $850—a great start, but not enough money Law Enforcement Officer Eddy Cartaya and methods work well in lava tubes, but would for the equipment. I started raising funds I joined forces with the backing of our agen- not be good in all places. from many other sources. The Western cies to do news interviews seeking tips and Anybody considering such a project is Region, Western Cave Conservancy, Mother conduct the criminal investigation. We are welcome to come to Bend and learn about Lode Grotto, and many individuals donated still working on the case at this time. The our methods and equipment. The sandblaster to the project. I talked Grainger Industrial NSS Cave Vandalism Deterrence Fund is can be used for other projects in the region. into selling me all the major equipment at offering a $1000 reward, and Wanderlust Ideally, you will need a crew of 4-10 people just over their cost. I paid $3100 for a gas Tours put up an additional $500 reward to run the blasters and prepare areas. Ray compressor and equipment which sells for for the prosecution of those involved in the Keeler also has a similar trailer located in over $6000. I borrowed Brent McGregor’s December 2020 vandalism. Arizona for regional projects further south. goat trailer (complete with a “goat crossing” If you would like to contribute to this project, sign) to haul the equipment. Back to Graffiti Blasting please visit http://ohdgrotto.caves.org/ to Around September 2013 we did our In the Spring, once bats are awake make a tax deductible donation. first workday at Redmond Caves. The again, our volunteers will be back at work protective equipment I bought fogged up cleaning the cave. I hope to get graffiti out of immediately in the cave and blinded us. Media Coverage of the Project: two or three major Bend area caves this year. https://centraloregondaily. The sandblasting was slow hard work. The This project will be ongoing. Maintaining com/%e2%96%b6%ef%b8%8f-the-great- results were good, but slow. Over several trial restored caves is much easier than taking outdoors-cleaning-up-the-boyd-cave-graffiti/ runs, I refined and improved the protective off layers of old graffiti. Our crew gets faster https://centraloregondaily.com/ equipment and upgraded to much better and better at this each trip. Cleaning a large the-great-outdoors-cleaning-boyd-cave/ sandblasters. A few trips in, our operations graffiti tag often takes our crew less than a https://ktvz.com/news/2021/01/08/ were much faster. We managed to get all the minute at this time—this kind of treatment boyd-cave-vandalized-law-enforcement- graffiti out of one of the Redmond Caves and is only effective and safe for the cave on asking-for-communitys-help/ start on the second cave. extremely durable bedrock, and it’s neces-

16 NSS News, April 2021 30 Years of Saving Caves Amber Lehmann, SCCi Board Director

Let’s be honest, 2020 was a year that entrances, all located on the property, with presented more than enough challenges that more than 6,000 feet of horizontal passage many of us want to forget. Despite 2020 and 154 feet of vertical cave. Meander is

being a chaotic year, SCCi prevailed and a smaller cave with 123 feet of horizontal Bob Biddix remained steadfast in protecting more caves passage. and karst landscapes than ever before. It was We named the preserve the “Mayapple— a year we actually want to remember for so Steve and Nancy Attaway Preserve” in many reasons, including THREE new cave memory of John’s son Steve who passed acquisitions. away a year ago and in honor of Steve’s wife Nancy who resides in . Cyclops Cave (Virginia) Steve was an active caver in the Southeast Cyclops Cave in Russell County is our during the 1970s and 1980s and served in first cave in the state of Virginia, and one alongside his father. that local cavers asked us to protect after SCCi Director Kyle Lassiter said, “John they discovered trash, broken formations, Attaway has been an exemplary caver and disturbed rigging, and graffiti in the cave. landowner for over 45 years. He has always With the help of the caving community and been a very active and engaged member of many other donors, we were able to raise the caving community. It is not a surprise enough money to purchase the cave. Our that his children (Steve and his sister Myrna) SCCi Board helped out with a last-minute followed suit and greatly enriched the caving Mayapple Cave decision to put the remaining portion on the community in their own right. His generous credit line and protect the cave immediately. donation to SCCi will allow the Attaway much larger at the bottom than the top, with We’d love to see this cave paid off in 2021, legacy to be remembered for many genera- a pit depth of 135 feet. Beyond the pit is a so if you are able to contribute at all, please tions to come.” half-mile of passage that includes a second consider giving. 34-foot drop. Balcony Sink aka Falling Cave With its large dramatic entrance and Mayapple—Steve and Nancy (Alabama) active waterfall, Balcony Sink is considered Attaway Preserve (Tennessee) Our final acquisition of the year—our one of the most beautiful and bio-dense The second significant acquisition came thirty-third overall—was one many cavers caves in Alabama. Because of the urgency of as a gift from long-time caver, John Attaway. have waited on for decades—the iconic the opportunity, SCCi placed this purchase In July, he generously donated a 17-acre Balcony Sink, also known as Falling Cave. on short-term credit. We continue to need parcel containing Mayapple and Meander Balcony Sink is arguably one of the top your help to support this once-in-a-century caves. This stunning piece of property is 10 classic pits in the Tennessee/Alabama/ acquisition. located in Payne Cove in Grundy County, Georgia (TAG) region of the United States. Tennessee. Mayapple Cave has three Like our Valhalla preserve, Balcony Sink is

Cyclops Cave Bob Biddix Brian Williams

Mayapple Cave

NSS News, April 2021 17 Kelly Lewis Ed Yarborough

Management Model While acquisitions are exciting and we love to announce them, it isn’t the only aspect of what we do as an organization. Another important success of 2020 was developing an actionable plan to manage our 2,400-acre Henson Preserve. We introduced a management model during our Preserve Management Retreat in March of 2020. This Bob Biddix model has been instrumental in developing an action plan for the preserve, and it is providing a foundation on which to base project decisions across the organization. With more than 30 preserves, applying the weighted model can help simplify decisions across preserve boundaries.

30 Years and Growing In summary, despite a tumultuous year, SCCi had a tremendous year of success. Much of the success revolved around doing a million little things right—day in and day out. From boots-on-the-ground preserve management to educating the public on the importance of cave protection, we know what it takes to protect over 5,000 acres for future generations. In 2021, we are celebrating our 30th Anniversary of saving wild caves. We have created a path to sustainability that is vital to our future as an organization, AND the future of our preserves. Sustainability includes concepts and actions in financial sustainability, leadership succession plan- Moore Sam ning, adaptability, and strategic planning. Without these principles, there would be no future for SCCi and the caves and land we protect. If you are currently a member, we thank you for your support. If you would like to become a member, you can do so here: saveyourcaves.org/join. We do hope you celebrate with us our important milestone this year and contribute to making the next 30 years as great as our first.

Right, three views of Balcony Sink

18 NSS News, April 2021 Paleoclimatology Sampling in a California Cave Greg Roemer-Baer

The Return After a six-month hiatus due to the COVID situation, I had reassembled most of the same team, plus a few newcomers, and began to wrap up a project that had started nearly a year ago to the day. Ceth Greg Roemer-Baer Greg Greg Roemer-Baer Greg Parker, Morgan Diefenbach, David Lyons, Brian Sakofsky, Vivek Zilpelwar, my wife Cassandra Roemer-Baer, and myself would comprise the team, while Dr. Montanez would be our surface crew. Like many of California’s caves, Crystal 67 cave is in marble bedrock, cold (39 to 41 Fahrenheit, ambient), always wet, and mostly vertical. This one sits at near 7,000 feet of elevation in a grove of Giant Sequoias. The cave consists mostly of a long, winding canyon passage with a culvert entrance in a stream bed with a ladder, four vertical drops, and several free-climbs that land us in a room Jessica Leila on rope the size of an underground stadium close to 300 feet below zero datum. Jessica Leila navigates a climb The cave is known for stability issues, Removal of the Sample and can be a bit of a technical challenge for As for the collection itself, we used a After nearly a year’s worth of planning, cavers even as a recreational endeavor. The 12-inch hacksaw frame with two different negotiations, permits, and logistics, our first roped drop after the culvert entrance has styles of tungsten carbide blade: a flat metal team successfully completed the recovery large boulders that are secured with ropes blade with a bead of tungsten carbide on of a from the largest-known over a vertical pit that’s a squeeze entrance. the edge, and a 4-millimeter wire blade that underground chamber in the state of Loose breakdown in passages can give way was coated in tungsten carbide. The metal California, the Mountain Room of Crystal easily and a good bit of spacing is neces- blade allowed for moving a little more quickly 67, a cave in Mountain Home Demonstration sary even in what we’d consider “walking through the parts that were more exposed State Forest. passage” in order to protect cavers lower and easy to access, while the wire style in the passage, and the entire floor of the allowed a little bit of adaptability in terms of The Proposal Mountain Room itself is made up of similarly operating the saw at unusual angles without Dr. Isabel Montanez contacted me in loose breakdown on a sharply inclined slope. binding in the cut, as a flat blade would. 2019 to work out a way that we might be As the base of the stalagmite was butted able to assemble a team to identify and up against a wall on the back side, this collect an ideal stalagmite in a California configuration also allowed us to slip the saw cave for her paleoclimatology work. This over the stalagmite, and effectively operate is a fairly uncommon occurrence, permits it backwards, cutting towards us and away for such things in California are not often from the wall with almost no clearance. sought, much less granted. Our first phase We operated the saw mostly wet, by rotat- was to perform reconnaissance and identify Roemer-Baer Greg ing positions from the queue, one person either a “dead-and-down” sample, or failing sawing and another trickling water onto the that, an ideal live specimen. blade. After about ten minutes of sawing, We spent a full day in August of 2019 the person operating the water would switch going over the Mountain Room (it’s about to operating the saw, while a new member 400 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 100 feet would take over water duties. All said and high, tilted lengthwise at about a 45-degree done, the removal took a little over an hour, angle), and unfortunately we were unable to and five people to rotate through cutting. All locate a downed sample. That left us look- of the water used was taken from the cave ing for a live speleothem that fit both the itself to minimize impact. parameters needed for the study, and also The cutting operation produced a signif- parameters pertinent to conservation and icant amount of powdered calcite, which the overall aesthetics of the cave. We left the had been carried away with the water and cave that day in 2019 with three possibilities streaked down a formation about for the full speleothem she needed, and Dr. twenty feet long. We now realize we should Montanez proceeded to write the application have captured the rock dust and saw water in for a collection permit. Jessica Leila and Eileen Beal in the Mountain a plastic bag. Once our task was completed, Room

NSS News, April 2021 19 used like a pack tether. The bulk and rigidity of the packaging made it a bit of a challenge to maneuver, especially on drops and climbs, but we made it to the surface with the speci- men in absolutely perfect condition. By Dr. Montanez’ account, it was one Morgan Diefenbach Morgan of the best specimens of its kind she had Dr Isabel Montanez ever seen recovered from California for paleoclimate work. We expect that the data that it yields will go a long way toward refin- ing existing climate models and increasing the accuracy of the predictions. It was an extremely rare opportunity, and something that would be nearly heretical in any other circumstance. It’s just not often done, espe- cially in California. It’s a strange experience, certainly, considering how we think about cave conser- vation in terms of NSS guidelines. As an NPS trustee/expedition leader for several California caves, I’m fairly militant in terms Greg Roemer-Baer (Expedition leader-CRF of insisting that any party I lead observe the WEST) operating saw. It is rare to take strictest guidelines for the preservation of complete speleothems for climate studies. Most studies can be accomplished with small the cave. While we believe the value of the cores taken from the speleothem—the portion data that will be extracted for much larger Printed replica stal containing the surface of the speleothem is conservation efforts outweighs the cost of often returned to the cave and used to plug the removal of a single speleothem (even one in caves, the rationale for replacement of a the hole where the core was drilled. that we’re expending significant resources natural speleothem with a replica, and about to restore), it remains that performing the overall best practices in this scenario. For instance, the installation of a replica wouldn’t I took Ceth’s new Swaygo pack and filled it removal itself does come with a certain necessarily be in the best interest of the cave. (~15 liters) with water from the stream that sense of loss. If anything, the speleothem probably has enters the Mountain Room on the side oppo- As a testament to the level of care a better chance of regrowing without the site our collection site, sealed the roll-top, and precision we put into the selection and replica in place. It remains that the argument and traversed the ledges of the room back to removal of the specimen, I led a second for the installation of the replica centers our work area. From the top, I emptied the trip the very next week to the cave for two around human perception of the cave. The entire pack to wash away all of the dust, all members of the original team who hadn’t fact that the work we performed was done the trickles of white powdered calcite from been able to attend the recovery mission. I in such a way as to preserve appearance the sawing. It made an impressive cascade, took them within ten feet of the sample site, even after the removal speaks to potentially and all surfaces were washed clean. and asked them to find the stalagmite we had leaving it as is. This cave also sees very few From there, the real fun began: trans- removed. They were unable to do so, and I visitors. In recent years, the one or two trips porting the collected specimen to the considered that a mark in our favor. There I might run annually account for a large surface. This stalagmite weighed an esti- are in the mountain room that percentage, if not a majority, of the total mated 25 pounds, and in the pelican case, range from 6 inches to about 4 feet in height, visitation. Advancements in technology and a bit over 30 pounds. Considering the and we had worked to make the remaining materials research may lead to better options importance of the data that will be taken base material appear similar to one of the in future field-proven, cave-safe materials. from the stalagmite, the extreme difficulty in more prolific smaller, stubbier specimens. With the stalagmite now in the lab, obtaining a permit, and the fact that it was it has been 3D-imaged at high resolution a living piece of this beautiful cave, failure Restoration and a perfect replica has been printed. The simply wasn’t an option. I brought down the We were due to complete the restora- proposal calls for this 3-D printed replica to large pelican case with all foam inside, and tion component of the project in spring of be colored and finished by a company that removed the foam to tightly fit the stalagmite 2021; but as many of you know, California’s specializes in making casts for museums. on-site. The case was too large to fit inside forests suffered terribly in the fires in 2020. However, we continue to evaluate minimum- my 45-liter Petzl cave pack, and so I made Many of our iconic giant Sequoias were lost, impact conservation as it applies to our a strap system with webbing that could be including some at Mountain Home near Crystal 67, which was near the heart of specific case, and we are reconsidering our the Castle Fire/SQF Complex. The forest original plan of using the replica to replace will remain closed likely all through 2021, the speleothem. reopening late spring of 2022. As soon as Cave conservation encompasses more it does, we hope to finish our restoration than aesthetics, and we need to carefully work. While the permit specifies installation understand and test the potential long-term of a replica, fully restoring the appearance consequences of any of the materials and Greg Roemer-Baer Greg of the formation we collected, we hope to finishes used. The ethical question remains: explore other possibilities. to mitigate, or not to mitigate. At the end of Stal, ready for transport in a foam lined The project has raised interesting the day, this decision rests with the park’s plastic drybox questions about placing untested materials management; but we have a good deal of

20 NSS News, April 2021 time to work through the options and make For more information on Dr. Montanez’ other recommendations if warranted. and Babs Wortham’s paleoclimatology work, Conservation Notes It was an excellent team, a fascinat- please see the following article published ing project, and we are all grateful for the about the work we did at Crystal 67, and Support Cave Conservation — opportunity to play a role. Beyond being also our ongoing work at Lilburn Cave with Donate to Save-the-Caves Fund technically interesting, the paleoclimate work CRF-West: • Caves, cavers, and the NSS appreciate is important, and we are all thrilled to play a https://lettersandscience.ucdavis.edu/ your financial support! part in that piece, as well. crystallized-climate • Our Saves-the-Caves Fund supports NSS Conservation Grants. • Contributions are tax deductible, of course! Responsible Speleothem Sampling The Save-the-Caves Fund is used to Sarah Truebe, PhD support the conservation goals of the Paleoclimate (past climate) studies from caves can be very valuable. Depending on the National Speleological Society. It supports location of the cave and the quality of the study, the information contained in the minerals in conservation programs and funds a number a speleothem will elucidate how the climate system worked—critical information in a modern of conservation grants for restoring and changing climate. Analyzing samples from speleothems is an increasing trend in research; protecting caves around the United States. however some specimens are taken without proper care for the cave, a practice that many You may choose to donate in Honor or in speleothem paleoclimate scientists recognize should stop. Memory of a friend or loved one, and notice will be sent to whomever you designate. When considering whether to remove a speleothem from a cave for science, regardless of https://learnmore.caves.org/index.php/ the type of study, careful pre-screening of samples is important. Some questions to ask include: donate/ • Is the site actively dripping? Is it actively forming calcite? (Important if recent climate change is of interest; not all dripping sites are forming calcite). Conservation Task Forces: • Will the information gained outweigh permanent damage to the cave? What other collabo- Making a Difference rators, instrumentation, or proxies, could be used to produce the highest fidelity climate NSS Conservattion Task Forces (CTFs) record? make a difference in karst areas around the • Could the study be done with dead-and-down speleothems? Could the study use stalagmites United States. Since passing of the Federal that were removed from show caves prior to development? Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988, • Could the study be done similar to “salvage archaeology” where the site will be destroyed many CTFs are recognized by local federal due to other conditions (for example, road-building); could relationships be made with agencies as primary representatives of the state, county, or country agencies to learn about these sites in time to extract information caving community on conservation issues from them? in their areas. NSS members of CTFs are • If an attached speleothem, or part of the speleothem is deemed necessary, can it be helping to manage caves on behalf of public removed with very little damage? Is it possible to capture any runoff, drill dust, saw water, and private landowners. or other potentially harmful byproducts? A CTF is a great way to gather like- • Does the speleothem have to be removed or can it be cored? minded people and make good things • Does the landowner approve of this type of study? Does the landowner understand that it happen in cave and karst conservation. will mean irrevocable damage to the speleothem(s)? Even if the site is restored aesthetically Some CTFs have a specific project that may with similar or same materials as are found in caves, it will be fundamentally changed. take a year or two to complete. Other CTFs lead ongoing projects that continue for many If a decision is made to remove a speleothem from a cave, a number of other questions years. A CTF may tackle a significant cave become important: vandalism problem, or it may work alongside • Will the speleothem be placed back in its original position in the cave? If so, how will it landowners and civic leaders to clean up a be repaired and restored to its original appearance? What epoxy is recommended, what groundwater pollution source. Due to the materials for color matching will be safe for the cave, how will it be pieced back together? ongoing efforts of CTFs, caves are mapped • Is a replica speleothem really a good solution? Have all materials and pigments been and inven-toried; management plans are evaluated and proven to be cave-safe in those particular cave conditions? Many materials written and implemented; restoration and and colorings result in harmful off-gassing or provide substrates for unwanted microbial cleanups are accom-plished: cave habitats growths. Check the end of the book, Cave Conservation and Restoration (Hildreth-Werker, are restored. Any cave/karst conservation, Werker 2006), for some lessons learned about cave-unsafe materials. management, outreach, restoration, or protection concern fits. • Will the speleothem be made available for later study by other labs worldwide? The National http://caves. Cave and Karst Institute is currently undertaking a project to log archived speleothems Join an existing CTF: org/conservation/CTFS.shtml (similar to archiving ocean sediment cores that are often acquired at great expense), so Create an NSS other researchers can access speleothems that otherwise would remain archived in a lab Establish a New CTF: Conservation Task Force to focus on local, somewhere. regional, national, or international cave and karst conservation issues. If your work would In the coming months, a handful of paleoclimate scientists are partnering with NSS cave benefit from CTF designation, contact the conservation experts to develop Minimum-Impact Guidelines for Sampling Speleothems. The NSS Conservation Division, Val Hildreth- study discussed in Greg Roemer-Baer’s article (this NSSNews issue) details a collaboration Werker [email protected] between cavers and paleoclimate scientists, throughout which many of the best questions for undertaking this kind of study are asked and analyzed. Hopefully more and more scientists will incorporate the views and values of cave stakeholders and cave managers as speleothem paleoclimate studies expand into the 21st century.

NSS News, April 2021 21 Surface Vegetation Needs Conservation, Too: A Case Study of Roots in Lava Caves, El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico Kathleen Lavoie, Jessica Snider, Diana Northup

Lava caves form as a result of active amounts of C, N, and microbial community Our study supports numerous manage- volcanic processes and are common in lava diversity including root-associated and soil ment issues. Roots provide a conduit from flows around the world, on other planets bacteria than zones lacking roots and/or the surface into the lava caves, making such as Mars, and on the Moon. Lava caves water percolation. conservation of the habitat and vegetation are part of the Shallow Subterranean Habitat Roots and water entering the shallow above the cave important. It is critical not to (SSH) characterized by Culver & Pipan ELMA lava caves did result in a mosaic interfere with movement of water into the as dark with no photosynthetic primary of available C and N, with the Root zone caves. Culver and Pipan have stressed the productivity, but with connections to surface having the highest level, the Wet and Dry need for regional or landscape conservation environments that influence chemical and Floor zones with intermediate levels, and the of Shallow Subterranean Habitats, including physical factors, including the availability of Wet and Dry Ceiling Zones with the lowest lava caves. Threats are alterations to the nutrients. Lava caves provide entry points amounts of C and N. physical habitat, changes in water quality and to the shallow subsurface, usually having However, there was a similar mosaic quantity, and direct changes. Many bacteria less than 10 meters of overburden, and are of microbial distribution and community found in lava caves, especially members of within the root zones of many woody plant composition at the phylum level. All commu- the Actinobacteria, are a potential source species. Roots have been reported grow- nities shared similar structure and members, of novel antibiotics and other medications. ing into karst and lava caves worldwide, suggesting that the roots, both growing Our study found many novel bacte-ria in the especially in humid tropical regions. Roots into and around the , may provide lava caves which could be studied for their in caves, beneficial for nutrient flow into a conduit for microorganisms to enter metabolic potential. All communities shared spelean systems and diversity, the cave, where the environment would similar structure and members. need conservation awareness. select the best adapted or allow for rapid The microbial communities in these lava Roots function to anchor the plant, speciation. caves, and possibly all shallow caves, come transport nutrients and water from the soil, Differences in microbial communi- from the soil and plant roots above and and store resources. Roots provide fixed ties were more evident at the genus level. around the cave. Ours is the first study of carbon from photosynthesis into constantly Caves are not homogeneous environments. bacterial communities of roots in lava caves, dark caves. Caves provide access for roots There are zones related to distance from and contributions of roots and water to the to different depths underground. There is no the entrance; seasonal variations; three- nutritional conditions. Next steps could be evidence that plants “sense” underground dimensional geometry; differential cooling to quantify nutrient inputs from the roots resources before coming into direct contact, and deposition of minerals in lava caves; and and water. but plants can preferentially take advantage microhabitats that may vary at the level of of locally abundant resources by altering the individual mineral grain, supporting the References growth rate or direction to seek out areas of unique microbial consortium best adapted Culver, D.C., Pipan, J., 2014. Shallow soil ammonium and nitrate. to those conditions. All zones had a similar subterranean habitats: Ecology, evolution, Life in all environments is controlled mixture of cave-, rhizosphere- or soil-related and conservation. Oxford University Press. in large part by the availability of water and isolates and all zones had both chemoor- Howarth, F., James, S., McDowell, W., nutrients. Water percolating down from the ganotrophs and chemautolithotrophs. Preston, D., Imada, C., 2007. Identification surface can bring nutrients into caves and In general, roots are important areas for of roots in caves using molecular may deposit onto walls and ceilings and arthropod diversity and need conservation. techniques: implications for conservation collect to form pools. Roots growing into Plant roots support specialized inverte- of cave arthropod faunas. Journal of shallow lava caves and water percolating brate communities in tropical lava caves. Conservation, 111(3), 251-261 through soil introduce dissolved carbon and Troglobitic planthoppers in lava caves in Jackson, R.B., Moore, L.A., Hoffmann, nitrogen resulting in a patchy distribution of Hawai`i, the , and Australia W.A., Pockman, W.T., and Linder, C, R., nutrients which may have a direct effect on feed directly on the phloem and xylem of 1999. Ecosystem rooting depth deter- the composition and distribution of microbial plant roots. Howarth and colleagues used mined with caves and DNA. PNAS, 96(20), communities within lava caves. molecular techniques to identify roots from 11387-11392. Two lava caves with active and exten- caves on both Maui and Hawaiʻi to develop Reinhold-Hurek, B., Bünger, W., sive root growth in the El Malpais National effective management strategies. The roots Burbano, C.S., Sabale, M., Hurek, T., Monument, New Mexico, were used to support 28 species of arthropods, including 2015. Roots shaping their microbiome: test several hypotheses. Six paired areas eight troglobionts. They recommend creat- global hotspots for microbial activity. Annual (Ceiling/Floor) from three zones were ing protected reserves around biologically Review of Phytopathology, 53, 403-424. selected: Root Zones: with roots and water significant caves. The arthropod communi- percolation; Wet Zones: areas with no roots ties surveyed were being supported by the but with water percolation; and Dry Zones: roots of invasive species, but managers need areas with no roots or water percolation. to control and prevent the spread of harmful Total percent carbon(C), nitrogen(N), and invasive plant species, and encourage the 16SrRNA gene phylogenetic studies were establishment of native deep-rooted species determined from each zone in both caves. to maintain the unique arthropod communi- We hypothesized that zones with roots ties associated with plant roots in Hawaiian and water percolation would have higher lava caves.

22 NSS News, April 2021 Roots growing from the ceiling of a small lava cave in El Malpais National Monument, NM. Roots are probably Ponderosa pine, and the white coatings are symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi. Other images show various types of roots found in lava tubes in the U.S. (Photos by Kenneth Ingham.)

Tiny insects such as this planthopper live on roots like this one in Hawai`i.

NSS News, April 2021 23 Cave Preservation Network Spotlight: Bluff Dwellers Cave of Noel, Missouri Nicole Ridlen, NSS-NCA Liaison

C. Arthur Browning was a busy farmer. and it became a family-owned-and-operated He had fields to plow, livestock to tend, business. and a family to feed, so in 1901 when he Perhaps it was the poor management found a small hole at the top of a hill along of the cave by Truitt, or maybe the pride a limestone outcrop with a cool breeze, he Arthur had in his family’s land, but he worked thought there might be a cave but had no hard to make Bluff Dwellers Cave a safe free time to find out for sure. In 1925 a crew and educational cave tour. Kathleen, who began constructing a highway that would had only been 11 years old when her father go right down the middle of Arthur’s land. found the cave, jumped in feet-first. She Some young men on the highway survey traveled to show caves across the country crew spent their spare time exploring area during the late 1930s and early 1940s, and caves and were curious about more caves she met with university geologists in Missouri in the region. Arthur mentioned the small and Arkansas to learn all she could. She head-sized hole, and they were ready to help went to mines and other areas, collecting him check it out. rock, mineral, and fossil specimens during her travels. Discovery In 1958 Kathleen officially took over It was a Sunday morning in April of ownership and management of the cave. A theme of Bluff Dwellers Cave’s 1925 when Arthur and the two young men Kathleen ran a tight ship and kept the cave tour is “sacrifice of the few to protect the first explored the cave. It turned out to be protected, proudly offering an educational many.” During tours we explain that we try greater than they could have been imagined, tour, and curating a museum from her to preserve the cave in as natural a state as so big that when Arthur and the two young extensive collection. Her siblings helped run possible for the enjoyment of visitors. But a men didn’t emerge seven hours later, the the cave, including Reita who was 16 years show cave, by its very nature, will never be family thought they might be trapped and younger and grew up giving tours as a child. 100% like it was the day it was discovered. sent for help from the neighbors. It was, Reita later married and moved to Kansas with The cave tour allows us to share the amazing after all, only a couple months after the story her husband, where they raised their children cave world with the public. Cave tours are of Floyd Collins had swept the nation. The and came back to Noel, Missouri to visit the the platforms that help us protect Missouri’s neighbors were climbing the hill, lanterns cave whenever they could. 7500+ known caves through education and in hand, ready for a potential rescue when When Kathleen was no longer able to awareness. People do not want to protect Arthur and the men emerged. They certainly run the cave, Reita and her husband George things they don’t understand, but by learn- had an amazing story to tell and the story Bunch moved back to Noel to run the family ing about a cave in a controlled environment quickly spread through town. It wasn’t long cave. Today their three children, Mike, Mary, people can better understand why caves before a local, self-proclaimed “cave man” and Ray, own the cave. Ray and his wife, are worth protecting. The public learn that heard all about it and showed up. Ann, moved down to Noel to carry on the they can volunteer their time to help, vote family tradition. I asked Ray what it was like for laws to protect, fund research to better Family Owned and Operated being able to play in a cave when he was a kid understand, and donate money to help with Arthur had no interest in opening his visiting for the holidays. His answer? “Oh, the cause. cave to the public but the town pressed him. there was no playing in the cave … Kathleen They told Arthur that he was holding back was very strict about that!” NSS and the Cave Preservation progress for the city. Show caves in the Network early 1900s were a big deal, were sure to Focus on Conservation and The Cave Preservation Network (CPN) bring more tourism to the area, and a cave Education was a natural decision for the Bluff Dwellers like Arthur’s? It would surely bring even Bluff Dwellers Cave today works hard Cave Team. Partnering with the NSS, the more visitors. In early 1927 Arthur finally to help with cave conservation, preserva- CPN allows our visitors to participate in the agreed to lease the cave to J.A. Truitt, the tion, and education. There are actually six preservation of other caves out there through self-proclaimed “Cave Man of the Ozarks.” known caves on the property and only one rounding up their purchases. Every little bit During development, they found artifacts like is open for cave tours. Bluff Dwellers Cave helps, however small, and allowing custom- grinding stones, arrowheads, stone tools, is of course the biggest of the six and open ers to be part of the bigger picture really pulls layers of ashes, and partial human remains … seven days a week, 362 days a year. The the cave tour and mission together. and the name “Bluff Dwellers” was declared. tour is designed to be educational yet fun. Bluff Dwellers Cave also participates It didn’t take long for Arthur to realize The guides lead 15 or fewer visitors through in wildlife monitoring programs by Missouri why all of Truitt’s other show caves had the cave at a time and go over the geologic Bat Census to document the effects on cave failed. He wasn’t so much of a cave lover processes of how caves form, why they are ecosystems after White Nose Syndrome as he was a seeker of fame. He was always delicate environments, and how important it arrived at the cave in 2017. The cave sells looking for the next news-worthy opportu- is to be responsible and ethical when visiting a laminated cave map poster with photos nity. The cave’s development was slow and caves. Guides tell visitors about the different of the cave and wildlife—proceeds benefit safety issues were abundant, and Truitt had show caves they can visit and how to find the Missouri Speleological Survey, our state already turned his attention to a new cave. their closest NSS Grotto to learn how to organization that documents and maintains Arthur’s new son-in-law and daughter, Hazel, explore caves responsibly if they are feeling a database of all caves statewide. bought out Truitt’s lease in the early 1930s more adventurous.

24 NSS News, April 2021 Cave Gating, Clean Up, Restoration, and Youth Outreach The other five caves owned by Bluff Dwellers were frequented by trespassers and vandals over the years. In 2018 due to rampant vandalism, our second longest cave was gated by Kansas City Area Nicole Ridlen Grotto, Springfield Plateau Grotto (SPG), Boston Mountain Grotto, and is undergoing restoration. SPG has helped remove trash and spray paint. Bluff Dwellers Cave management, SPG, and Missouri Bat Census helped sponsor cave cleanups at neighboring privately owned caves. They guided a group of youth from the local SOPE-Discovery Corps class in removing spray paint, cleaning up trash, and educating local youth about the importance of cave conservation. SOPE is a combi- nation of success and hope, because that’s what we want to give our kids—and, Discovery Corps is named after Lewis and Clark. Jon Beard, cave restoration specialist of SPG, taught them the importance of checking caves for evidence of historic and archaeologic significance before removing modern graffiti. Keith Jones, the SOPE science teacher says, “As a science teacher, I love seeing the passion on students’ faces when they’re actively engaged in the inquiry process. My students were able to work with Nicole from Bluff Dwellers to see the impact of visitors on caves. They began by touring Bluff Dwellers then visited several “wild” caves with Nicole Ridlen and Kirsten Alvey-Mudd from Missouri Bat Census. What these students were able to experience was a lesson that will Bristly Cave Crayfish (Cambarus setosus) is a species of concern living stick with them forever. These students have since moved on to high in the stream of Bluff Dwellers. school, but they still talk about those experiences when I see them around campus! The knowledge they gained from exploring caves and working with these scientists opened their eyes to the issues of bat and cave conservation and will stick with them forever!” The best way to protect caves? Prevent future damage through public education and awareness, starting with the youth. After spending

all those hours scrubbing spray paint from the cave walls and picking up Dalsem Van Brandon glass shards out of clay and chert, those young people will surely think twice about the consequences of participating in such activity later.

The Bluff Dwellers Cave Family Legacy As a caver who found herself managing a show cave it may sound like these are programs and events that I brought to fruition, but the truth is I am just continuing the family legacy. I am honored to work with a cave family that has long treasured the natural world they discovered. From the beginning, Arthur wanted the cave to be a safe and Archaic-age grinding stones discovered within Bluff Dwellers are still natural cave experience; that is why he started managing the cave on display in the cave. even though it was never his intent. Kathleen was so inspired by her father that she took the time to educate herself through traveling and reading books. She raised her sister Reita to appreciate and respect the cave, and Reita raised her children, who now own the cave, with the same sense of love and respect. Nicole Ridlen Bluff Dwellers Cave owners have been dedicated to the conser- vation of their cave since long before they even knew the science of how important it was, and we carry on that tradition by staying true to the family. The cave is beautiful and amazing just the way nature made it and we pride ourselves on sharing how amazing it is with anyone willing to listen.

SOPE students and teachers get ready to enter a local cave. Kirsten Alvey- Mudd (purple helmet) gives information about bat Nicole Ridlen habitat distrubance while Jon Beard (orange helmet) describes procedures for checking for archaeologic or historic significance before graffiti removal. Removing spraypaint graffiti with water and a nylon-bristle brush

NSS News, April 2021 25 Reflections of a Conservationist Ethan Oleson NSS 69922

“Welcome to , my conservation was a worthwhile investment, As projects piled up and interest in name is Ethan….” That’s how my days at I would need to sound like I knew what was the position peaked from staff and visitors, Rushmore Cave, in Keystone, South Dakota, going on. I ordered the cave-specific bible it became clear that one day a week was began in 2016. Back then, I was a young and began reading. not enough. After some negotiation and and unconcerned kid who was trying to get By spring break, I was ready with a haggling, we landed on three days a week. some walking-around money, as working for ten-page proposal fully equipped with a job During this time, I went from someone my grandparents wasn’t cutting it anymore. description, possible projects, and how the who knew little about caves and little about I didn’t know anything about caves or really “benefits” of this position would lead to an conservation to working a full shift and then care. It was just a job. I was just giving cave increase in revenue for the cave—or at least going home to create tools and processes to tours. Later that summer I was introduced to break even. I traveled back to South Dakota streamline my work. caving, properly, by a buddy who has become from for break, and I brought my As the summer continued, we completed a good friend. After my first cave trip, I was proposal to a shift at work. Before a tour, project after project. Not only did we take a hooked. I spent countless nights after work I gave the proposal to my manager. By the proactive approach to human debris, , exploring in the depths of Rushmore Cave time I got out of the Cave, the decision was and graffiti, but we began the long process and expanding my own comfort zone. I made, they would give me a shot. I would of restoring our formations. Rushmore Cave continued to give cave tours for two years act as a Gift Shop Supervisor for four days a contains some very dense speleothem groups until I was a freshman in college. week and on one day of my choosing I would in two areas covered by the tour path, the be the cave conservationist. largest being the Big Room. The Big Room extends for two acres with half of the floor Season One and ceiling covered in hundreds of forma- By the summer, my new position was tions—including the Great Column, one of defined and we had a project list. Needless the largest in the Black Hills. The formations to say, I was horrified. I was still in shock that of the Big Room had not been restored or Ethan Oleson my proposal worked, and I understood that looked after with great detail since at least I needed to deliver. To “prove” that I was the early 2000s. Speleothems were covered doing my work and to show what I did on in cave dirt, lint, hair, algae, trash, and even a day-to-day basis, I began keeping a Cave mold. Each formation required a bit of care- Conservation Coordinator Daily Journal. ful attention. For days, I hung from a rope Every day I would journal a bit about what on a flowstone slope cleaning and restoring I did, the problems that occurred, ways to what I could reach. I learned early on in improve, and work patterns that seemed my caving career that conservation is never effective to the position. At the end of each finished—some of those formations still month, I would compile my entries into a require restoration. At the end of the day, I report that I would submit to the Natural was proudest of the projects where a clear, Attractions Manager and to the General positive difference had been made. Manager.

In about February, an email from Tom Hagen, General Manager at Rushmore Cave, said I was invited back to work as an Adventure Tour Guide—the same job I had a year before. To this day, I don’t know if it South Dakota Travel was the cave gods, or my desire to not be stuck in the same place, but I began thinking about what Rushmore really needed, and my thoughts landed on conservation. Rushmore Cave needed a conservationist … My knowledge of conservation consisted of knowing that oil on skin was damaging to passages and even more so to forma- tions. I turned to the only people I thought would have some knowledge about conser- vation—the NSS. I landed on what I now refer to as my bible: a 600 page book, Cave Conservation and Restoration by Val Hildreth-Werker and Jim Werker. I knew that if I was going to convince my manager that The Big Room In Rushmore Cave

26 NSS News, April 2021 “next year we’ll do that” or “it’s not in the budget.” I look back on the 2020 season as one of preparation—preparation for a future conservation program, preparation

for future wild caving tours, preparation for Kaden Franke infrastructure expansion, and preparation for much more to come.

Rush Mtn Adventure Park Rush Mtn Adventure Show Cave Conservation and the NSS Over my time as a caver and a conser- vationist, I have been granted a unique perspective into a sport and science I love. I have participated in exploration and survey projects, recreation trips, education, conser- vation, and outreach. I see my conservation experience as a unique one, as it developed in a privately owned show cave. Like most businesses, we have a goal: to provide a unique and fun experience for all ages by showing them the beauty of caves. We, of course, also aim to turn a profit—if we didn’t, Ethan Oleson taking pictures of historical graffiti for inventory the cave would be visited by users who could Ethan Oleson removing coins from a cave possibly vandalize and neglect it. Commercial pool with a homemade 2.5-foot spoon development of caves, either privately or Even more difficult—a privately owned show publicly, has supporters as well as naysayers. cave has to turn a profit. While it is never Regardless of the words of those who believe ethical to make conservation decisions based At the conclusion of the first summer, that private cave ownership is damaging to on budget alone, conservation-minded deci- we decided to tackle our most feared proj- the science or liberty of exploration, in many sions are easier to make if they are financially ect—our coin pool restoration. I have tried cases, it is irrefutable that private show caves sustainable. It is not as difficult as it sounds— for years to justify in my mind why people are, in fact, the first exposure the public has it is indeed possible to turn a profit from a have the urge to throw coins in a pool in a to caves. For many, show caves provide their conservation program when sufficient time cave. This “coin pool” is in fact a fifteen- only in-cave experiences. and energy are committed to public relations, gallon cave pool that is at the base of our Moreover, private ownership provides stewardship outreach, and visitor education. largest known chimney. It took two of us protection for the cave. If we didn’t own it, Conservation in a Show Cave, while not twelve hours to restore this pool. We drained it could fall into the hands of less respon- always the prominent player on the stage, and filtered the water into storage containers sible ownership. Private caves all over the is as important to responsible management that were stored safely off trail. We removed country, therefore, have a duty to be lead- of the cave as is providing a means for the a contractor’s trash bag full of grime, gum, ers and models of good conservation and public to responsibly enjoy the world of dirt, mud, and coins. To our surprise, the caving ethics. It is appropriate and necessary caves. It is more important than ever to pool was decorated with spar on its banks—a component of stewardship for organizations model low-impact cave ethics and preserve nice feature lost to time, now recovered. As such as the NSS ti extend time, resources, the natural world. the cave was closing for the day, we reintro- and outreach to the show cave industry. Show caves have more roadblocks than duced the water to the pool. It was free of Programs such as the newly organized NSS most when it comes to committing resources coins and more like nature intended. Cave Preservation Network are a prime to large scale projects, but they also have example of the type of collaboration that the burden of this obligation. As cavers, we Season Two will pay off for years to come. should volunteer, consult, and support the The first season of conservation at Active show caves often fall short of conservation efforts in private show caves Rushmore Cave was full of success, sleep- the conversation when we drool over the all over the country. They are the backbone less nights, massive conservation blunders, great caves. However, many of us were of our passion. Caving has fostered some of unrelenting public outreach, and a whole introduced to caving through commercial our greatest friendships and opportunities— hell of a lot of fun. The second season for cave tours. Show caves must be conserved caves continue to provide us with more than Conservation at Rushmore Cave took place not only because they are inherently valu- we know—I encourage every caver to take in the summer of 2020. There is no need to able as ecosystems, spelean resources, and up the toothbrush and give something back go into how difficult 2020 was for everyone, places of irreplaceable culture and history, to our show caves. for tourism, and for caving. We decided to but also because they tell the public about upgrade our conservation position to full time who we are, they should be reflections of to assist with the added precautions that we our organized caving community. took in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Conservation in a show cave provides I consider 2020 a success—we devel- its own challenges. Not only are show cave oped a manual for future conservationists, conservationists either a one-caver-band, or a completed large projects, and maintained group of volunteers, but they often have very the infrastructure of the cave on a scale constricted resources and budgets with which we hadn’t been able to do before. As for to conduct the same operations and tasks most show caves, 2020 was a season of that federally or state funded caves perform.

NSS News, April 2021 27 What It Means to Be a Member of a High School Cave Conservation Club Scout Jessop

The bond you make with someone who spends hours with you in a cave is one that you can’t find sitting at a desk all day. As a cave club member I have responsibility in the caves as well as outside of them. Our work carries back Trail marking alternative to flagging tape into the classroom judge. Stories of bats, spider clusters, deep where we trans- pits, and lots of wood rat poop scare off the fer all information majority of the teen population. But if every- into online services one could look past those uncomfortable through eCave, details, they would realize the time dedicated BHS Cave Club Members on trip to monitor caves in Glacier National Park which allows other to working in the club is well spent. cavers to access The work of the cave club is beneficial To me, the Bigfork High School Cave the information and add their own data. for the land managing agencies and for the Club has been the most important experi- Although around 25 students make online conservation of the caves. However, we are ence in my high school career. I have been a maps, typically only five to seven students only one club and there are thousands of part of the club for four years, but it has been go on the caving trips. caves that need attention. Schools around active since 2005. At the request of state The difficult work pays off in fun memo- the country could adopt our system and help and federal agencies, the club has worked ries along with state and national recognition. contribute to the preservation of caves and in over 60 caves throughout the western The club has been awarded the 2010 wildlife, while providing incredible educa- US. I personally have worked in 15 caves. President’s Environmental Youth Award, tional experiences for teens. The work involves bat hibernacula surveys, NSS certificate of Appreciation in 2018, setting up roost loggers, soil sampling, and and the Montana Chapter of the Wildlife establishing mineral, climate, biology, and Society Wildlife Conservation award in Volunteer Value Calculations for photomonitoring. 2019. Besides the awards, the club is a Cavers The chapter titled “Documenting Through the club I have been able fantastic source of volunteer work—I alone Volunteer Value” in the book Cave to expand my education beyond than the have 600+ hours. Conservation and Restoration (Hildreth- school walls, which not many students have I pity those in my school who pass up Werker, Werker 2006) describes the history the opportunity to do. It is rare to find a the opportunity to join the club, but I don’t of determining Volunteer Value for cavers, student who has had the chance to explore contains an official document defining what some of the most remote places on earth hours count, and field forms for recording and to meet inspiring conservationists along and calculating caver Volunteer Value. The the way. I have had the opportunity to share chapter includes how to figure the cost/value my knowledge with cavers across the US, of caver time and expertise, starting with GS and the people I interact with are incredibly 5 equivalents. When tasks require specialized interesting and have amazing stories to tell. professional expertise, the cost/value can be assigned according to other GS ratings. Under this system, in addition to in-cave time, Volunteer Value calculations include time and expense for project preparation, travel, equipment, and post-trip documenta- tion. See https://caves.org/conservation/ and click on Volunteer Value.

Hildreth-Werker V, Werker JC, 2006. Documenting Volunteer Value. In: Hildreth- Werker V, Werker JC, editors. 2006. Cave Conservation and Restoration. Huntsville, Alabama: National Speleological Society. [pp 321-328.] Available online at https://digital. lib.usf.edu/SFS0051033/00001 or through the NSS Bookstore http://bookstore.caves. BHS Cave Club member finding photos for BHS Cave Club members establishing org ISBN 1-879961-15-6 remonitoring project in a Forest Service cave monitoring in a Forest Service cave

28 NSS News, April 2021 Cave Restoration and Formation Repair Projects in Lechuguilla, Cottonwood, and Fort Stanton Caves Mike Mansur, NSS#26393RL FE

Lechuguilla Cave excess off a rope used to access an upper Restoration Project lead. We sprinkled darker dirt over lighter dirt This restoration project addresses to disguise the footprints in some areas. Our caver impact along the upper portion of efforts that day yielded 425 square feet of in Carlsbad Caverns areas restored, 300 feet of new orange trail National Park (CCNP), New Mexico. This flagging placed, 65 feet of “off-trail trails” area of Lechuguilla must be traveled by every removed, and 30 feet of unneeded old rope team that goes deeper into the cave, so it removed from the cave. receives more impact and requires regular During our March 2020 trip, we restoration and reflagging. removed off-trail footprints from 22 specific Planning began in the fall of 2018. areas along the main trail from the Colorado Three 2019 trips were approved by the Room to Glacier Bay. We removed 145 feet Carlsbad Caverns Cave Resource Office and of two old scientific trails no longer needed three for 2020. Due to the 2020 pandemic, on the top of Glacier Bay, replaced old and we were able to complete only the March damaged flagging with new, and placed trip, and followed Covid-19 protocols. red/white flagging around sensitive areas. We began at the bottom of the entrance The total square footage restored so far is culvert and continued on into the cave, 1505; the total in-cave volunteer hours are using water for restoration from the A6 225.5. I want to thank everyone for their pool. On our first trip we concentrated on enthusiastic help on these trips: Mike Mansur reflagging the trail to the Liberty Bell area, (Trip Leader), Erin Lynch, Aria Mildice, and and cleaning 20 pools of various sizes and Dave Brumbaugh (Carlsbad Caverns Cave depths surrounded by popcorn formations Resource Office), Minori Yoshida, Todd and flowstone. We restored an area of 190 Roberts, Scott Christenson, Carrin Rich, Mike and Minori assembling Baby Goliath square feet, spending a total of 56.4 volun- Sam Bensonhaver, Lois Manno, Brandon using the Speleoclamp teer hours this trip. We used pressurized Lee, and Brandon McKinnon. spray bottles, plastic bladders to remove the ough instructions on cave restoration and dirty water from the cave, and collapsible Cottonwood Cave repair techniques and materials best suited pails to hold our tools. Formation Repair Project for caves. On our next trip in July we worked on This project began in August 2019. We started in the Coke Table Room. cleaning the flowstone and pools Aaron Stockton, at that time the Cave Here was a beautiful room devastated by at the bottom of Boulder Falls. Erin Lynch, Specialist with the Lincoln National Forest vandalism, with hundreds of broken forma- Physical Science Technician at CCNP, picked (LNF) in the Guadalupe Mountains, asked me tions. For formation repair in this type of up a large number of silica desiccant beads, if I could start a formation repair project on area, I designed and created some custom trash, bits of flagging, and lint off the trail. two areas in Cottonwood. I had been work- tools: the Stalactijack, a spring-loaded PVC We removed a large number of footprints ing on similar projects in other Guads caves device that supports repairs to stalactites from the dirt downslope of the landing zone since 2018 after visiting with my long-time while the epoxy cures; the Speleoclamp, and placed flagging to protect that zone and caving buddies, Jim Werker and Val Hildreth- a PVC and stainless steel all thread device, encourage travel on the actual trail that leads Werker, to get some pointers on proper which holds formations in place to drill for over to the middle of the Colorado Room. cave-safe materials and supplies. Their in placement of stainless steel stabilizing We cleaned a large amount of rock bits from book, Cave Conservation and Restoration pins; the Speleocup, a PVC cap with two the flowstone that were likely there from (Hildreth-Werker, Werker 2006), has thor- stainless steel screws, which secure rubber drilling new anchors and the rebelay on the rope drop to the room. We used water that had been collected in a Darren drum placed there by Aria Mildice (CRO), which was much preferred to bringing in water from the A6 pool. Pressurized sprayers made it easy to remove caked mud from the flowstone. We also cleaned several beautiful black and white stalagmites that were next to the trail. On the next trip we worked the trail leading to Sugarlands. There was almost no flagging there to designate the trail, and hundreds of off-trail footprints, some of which occurred during the recent resurveys in the area. We removed four “off-trail trails” and all the footprints. Erin cut 30 feet of Coke table in Cottonwood with stainless steel rod installed before repair Coke table repaired

NSS News, April 2021 29 bands to the stub while the epoxy cures; the had three trips there. This is another beautiful Lake Room, located in the historic section. Speleorake, an extendable PVC shaft with area that has been heavily vandalized. There We found there a pile of broken, mud-caked stainless steel wires at the end to retrieve were several piles of formations, and many formations. We began cleaning them off so broken formations from the pools; and the of the broken pieces were found near their we might be able to pair them more easily Cave Claw, which we use to remove and broken stubs. In the Coke Table Room, by with their ceiling stubs. We found 6, which restore old trail surfaces. contrast, the vandals had thrown most of the we epoxied to the ceiling and supported We have retrieved 86 broken forma- formations they broke into the pools. with the Stalactijacks. We cleaned over 100 tions from the two pools so far, matched We have so far matched and epox- broken pieces during that trip. This damage all but 11 with their ceiling points of origin, ied together 71 formations in this room. was allegedly over 100 years old, with dozens and epoxied them in place. Two coke table I designed and built a device to hold the of pieces packed into the cave mud on the formations had been broken off; in one we broken formation upright while the epoxy floor. We strictly adhered to the BLM Covid- installed an 8-inch long, 3/8-inch diameter cured, which I called the Speleorack. It is 19 and WNS decontamination protocols. stainless steel pin to mount it back to its base. made of ½-inch PVC with 3-inch stainless On the next trip we wanted to locate Aaron gave names to at least 25 formation steel screws placed 3 inches apart. We put pieces of the dozens of broken stalagmites pieces so they could be identified with their the epoxied formation into this rack and use in the work area. We noticed a 20-foot pit point of origin. This worked well until we rubber bands to keep it vertical. We have behind the area, and we found dozens more passed 100 formations repaired; we then had to make two of these to hold all the pieces there. We were very excited that most went to a numerical system. Todd Roberts repairs. We were very fortunate to have Jen were the stalagmite pieces we had been invented a clever way to photograph the Foote, the new Cave Specialist for the LNF, searching for! We cleaned them and were ends of each broken piece to scale with an with us to help out and see our work. We eager to return to make the repairs. We assigned number. He made an attachment also matched 5 formations with their ceiling also removed a 35-foot rock-lined trail to a for his camera that had a ruler, counter, and bases and installed Stalactijacks to support dead-end passage and restored it to blend in scale to better identify each piece by color. them while curing. with the off-trail areas there. Printing 20 per sheet, we could hold up We have to date made repairs to 132 We were very fortunate to have Knutt the printed color copies to the ceiling. This individual formations in the Coke Table Peterson with us on our third trip. He was made matching formations with their ceiling Room, and 71 in the Cantina Room, includ- a great help and wanted to see how we did bases easier than holding a single piece up to ing stalactites, stalagmites, coke tables, lions’ our work. He brought a 20-foot cable ladder compare it with all the hundreds of broken tails, and shelfstone. Our trip on December to drop the small, bell-shaped pit to retrieve ceiling stubs. 12, 2020 was the 22nd since we began this broken formation pieces in the bottom. One We repaired two lion’s tail formations project in August 2019. We have logged a of our tasks was to survey the unmapped in the room that leads to the Coke Table total of 559.8 in-cave volunteer hours. passage behind our work area, and also the Room. This was an area that had dozens I want to thank everyone who has small pit. We made repairs to 7 stalagmites of broken formations and we were able to helped out so far on this rewarding project: and 1 . One stal had 7 pieces of make repairs on over 45 of them. A former Minori Yoshida, Todd Roberts, Ellen Trautner flowstone crust around its base, and those pool held many once-submerged forma- (BLM) Foz Trautner, Angelina Guerra pieces, now epoxied back together, were tions with ceiling connection points as small (NPS), Duane Geckler, Kyle Rybacki (BLM), scattered over a 50-square-foot area. Our as soda straws. Pool deposits caused them Hunter Klein (NPS), Stephanie and Michael small pit turned out to be virgin! With the to have enlarged lower sections. One of Bouchey, John Cochran, Tim Charleton, two pits and passages was 166.5 feet of new the Stalactijacks needed to be 7-feet tall to Dan Pawlak (NPS), Colin Walfield (NPS), survey for the map. We named the smaller pit facilitate the repair. We used drill bits and Max Berlin (NPS), Andy Rankin (NPS), “Pool Fingers Pit” due to the beautiful yellow stainless steel pins as small as 3/16-inch in Leah Van Vrankin (NPS), Dave Brumbaugh pool fingers we found there, and the other pit diameter for some of these repairs. (NPS), Alex Nancarrow (NPS), Erin Lynch passage became the “Mud Fingers Passage.” We were able to repair 7 stalagmites (NPS), Scott Christenson, Joe Sandowsky, I want to thank the team participants: with epoxy and stainless steel all-thread rods. Jen Foote (USFS), Carrin Rich, and Zach Minori Yoshida. Todd Roberts, Carrin Rich, One we named “Michael” in remembrance Englebert. Ellen Trautner (BLM), and Knutt Peterson of the late geologist, Dr. Michael Queen. We (BLM). also located a pile of broken formations we Fort Stanton Cave Formation To date, 15 formations have been had not previously noticed off-trail near the Repair and Restoration Project repaired, requiring us to epoxy a total of climb-down to the room. We found 7 pieces I was asked by Ron Lipinski and Pete 28 formation joints, with 12 requiring the of a very large stalactite we named “Baby Lindsley of the Fort Stanton Cave Study placement of stainless-steel all-thread pins Goliath.” We installed 1/4-inch stainless Project to consider repairing formations in for reinforcement. We have scrubbed the steel rods in each of 6 joints we epoxied in Fort Stanton Cave in the Lincoln National dirt and caked mud from more than 145 that one formation. Unfortunately, we have Forest. I readily agreed and put together a formation pieces. We worked a total of 140 been unable to locate the ceiling point of proposal for the Bureau of Land Management volunteer in-cave hours in Fort Stanton Cave. origin. We hope we can look through some (BLM). It was accepted, and we began prepa- old photographs to see if it belonged in this rations for three trips. It had been at least 20 Summary of Volunteer Value room. The total length of “Baby Goliath” so years since I had been in the cave. I was very In summary for the three projects: the far is 71 inches, and it weighs approximately impressed with the organization, bunkhouse total number of formations repaired is: 206, 55 pounds. We can certainly reattach it to facilities, and decontamination equipment set requiring 264 joints epoxied, with 77 requir- the ceiling if we can locate where it belongs. up by BLM Cave Specialist Knutt Peterson. ing installation of stainless-steel all-thread We have also repaired a broken piece of lily The first trip was primarily for recon- pins. The total in-cave volunteer hours are: pad shelf stone and removed two old trails. naissance and repair. We brought in 8 867.7, not including Knutt and Jen’s on-duty We then went to the Cantina Room, Stalactijacks, the Speleoclamp, Speleorack, time of 18 hours. which was only open until the bat hibernacu- Speleocups, and everything we needed to Total volunteer travel time and distance lum closure period began November 1. We start work. We concentrated our efforts in the (tracked by the BLM and USFS) round-

30 NSS News, April 2021 trip from home to the cave and back is: They all received valuable on-the-job train- and Australia with several awards, the volume Cottonwood Cave with 31,577 miles in ing and would be an asset to any project contains a wealth of detail from 46 contributors multiple trips, 657 total caver travel hours; they work on. describing tools, methods, and materials for cave conservation management, restoration, and Fort Stanton Cave with 3480 miles, speleothem repair, and minimum-impact 72 total caver travel hours. (See sidebar on Reference protocols.] Available online at https://caves. Volunteer Value). Hildreth-Werker V, Werker JC, editors. 2006. org/conservation/ and https://digital.lib.usf. Folks from the USFS, NPS, and the Cave Conservation and Restoration. edu/SFS0051033/00001 Purchase through BLM helped with these projects. I want to Huntsville, Alabama: National Speleological Amazon or the NSS Bookstore http://book- Society. xiv+ 600 p. [Honored in the U.S. give my sincere thanks to every participant. store.caves.org ISBN 1-879961-15-6 Fort Stanton Cave Formation Repair and Restoration Project: The Tools and Techniques We Used Mike Mansur, Project Leader

We began our project in August 2020. diameter PVC pipe. I drilled six ¼-inch holes and put the two formation pieces together. Our goal was to locate and repair as many 2 inches apart to hold a 2-inch stainless steel Both pieces are marked to center the drill bit. broken formations in the historic passages bolt with a wing nut to keep the 40-pound of Ft. Stanton as possible in the three trips test spring in place. I then sit a 2-foot long, Speleocup that were approved. The location in the cave ½-inch PVC pipe atop the spring as a piston. The third invention is the Speleocup. It was the Lake Room, which was identified as I used a variety of sizes of PVC caps, attached is a PVC cap with two stainless steel screws a good starting point by Pete Lindsley, Ron with a stainless-steel screw to a ½-inch PVC or wire that we connect with rubber bands Lipinski, and Knutt Peterson. cap that attaches to the top of the PVC to a stainless-steel clamp attached to the We created these tools for use in forma- piston. This way, I can easily change the cap stalactite base. tion repairs in Carlsbad Caverns National to hold a variety of stalactite sizes. Park, Lincoln National Forest, and Bureau of Speleorack Land Management caves. Below I introduce Speleoclamp The fourth invention is the Speleorack. some of the inventions I created to make our My next invention is the Speleoclamp. I It is used for firmly holding formations that formation repairs easier, but first I want to made the first one on September 12, 2018. have been epoxied together in a vertical introduce an invention by Todd Roberts, one It holds a formation tightly in place while we position. It can hold up to 40 formations at of the project participants. Todd created a drill holes for the placement of stainless-steel one time. I used ½-inch PVC and 3-inch great method of photographing the broken pins to provide stability to the epoxied joint. screws to hold the rubber bands, which in formation ends, and then making color prints I needed a means of supporting the repaired turn secure the epoxied formations to the to scale which we hold up to the ceiling to formations while the epoxy set, and for hold- Speleorack. find matches. ing the formation tightly while I drilled the holes to place stainless steel pins for joint Speleorake Photographic Tools for Finding reinforcement. In fabricating a device that The last invention I show here is the Matching Pieces would hold these formations under various Speleorake. It is a tool for retrieving broken Todd Roberts and Minori Yoshida have cave conditions, I used a ½-inch PVC pipe formations out of pools. It comes in two helped on most of my formation repair proj- to make a 24-inch x 24-inch x 18-inch-high varieties. ects over the last three years. Todd developed clamp. I glued the pieces together at the In conclusion, the special tools described a great idea for matching the broken ends top tier, but left the lower tiers unglued so I above allow us to more easily do our forma- with their points of origins. Previously, we could add height if necessary. I used a ¾-inch tion repairs and restoration work. These tried to locate these matches by holding PVC “T” and piping to make sliding rails to devices can easily be constructed at little cost one piece up to the ceiling and walking or serve as the clamp. I drilled 3/8-inch holes by anyone wanting to do take the time to crawling around to try to find the base. His on these pieces, then installed 3/8-inch all- build them. I have purchased all my materi- clever idea was to arrange the pieces by thread, and used 3/8-inch nuts and wing nuts als from Home Depot and smaller hardware number, photograph the ends to scale, and to allow me to clamp the formation in place. stores. Since these materials are cave safe, then put 20 photos onto a sheet of colored I also added ¾-inch foam pipe insulation to made from clean uncemented Schedule 40 photographic paper, which could then be serve as a cushion on the rails to prevent PVC (will out-gas over time), stainless steel held up to the ceiling to compare with the possible damage to the formation. bolts, washers, all thread, wing nuts, springs, bases. Todd invented a device to mount to his To mark the drill holes, we had been and screws, we sometimes leave them in the camera that would ensure consistent results using Sharpies with the ends cut off (around cave for short periods between trips. with a ruler and a counter for scale. $1.50 each) to mark corresponding holes in If anyone wants to contact me for more the formation joint to be drilled. The Sharpie information please feel free to e-mail me. Stalactijack ink wick can be pulled to make multiple [email protected] My own specialized tools are physical small snips, but this seemed expensive for support inventions that stabilize broken hundreds of repairs. In Ft. Stanton, we Editor’s note: Mike’s tools article, with formations while the epoxy is curing. The started using Q-tips and low-VOC nail polish, many more photos, is available on the NSS first tool is a support device I named the to mark the drill-spots on matched pieces. News extensions page as a PDF: https:// Stalactijack. This is a spring-loaded PVC The Q-tips are easily cut to length, and caves.org/pub/nssnews/extensions.shtml jack that is easily set up to support a repaired placed in the drill-spot for the lower hole. We stalactite. I made it from a 2-foot long, 1-inch then put a drop of nail polish on the Q-tip,

NSS News, April 2021 31 Upper row, three steps in using photo- graphic techniques to help match broken pieces with each other, which can be a daunt- ing task when so many have been broken in a small area.

Below a Speleorack is used to hold multiple stal segments during the curing process of the cement.

Above, the middle two leftmost photos depict the Speleoclamp, a versatile device that cradles formation pieces while they are epoxied together before attaching to the cave’s ceiling or floor. They also offer support during drilling when stainless steel rods are inserted, typically in heavier formations as shown below.

32 NSS News, April 2021 PVC Speleorake for retrieving broken material from pools

Stalactijack device detailed in upper two photos provides support (as shown in photos left and upper right and lower right) while epoxy sets during the repair process.

Speleocup (right) provides support with a pull instead of a push.

Sequence of five photos, left, q-tip method for marking matched pieces to align drill for proper stainless steel pin placement.

Above, three stalactijacks including a different headpiece that provides support in a horizontal plane instead of push from below.

NSS News, April 2021 33 Grand Caverns Spring Restoration Volunteer Value Meredith Hall Weberg, NSS 21477RL (FE)

great knowledge of Grand Caverns’ history. I have spent many enjoyable hours listening to their tales. These annual conservation weekends led to a VAR project to remap Grand, Fountain, and the other five caves that were known at the time on Cave Hill. Starting in 2003, we met monthly for years Meredith Hall Weberg Meredith and increased the known number of caves to 23! This project is ongoing, and Carol Tiderman is the point of contact if you want to join. In the early years, I don’t recall anyone taking down names or how many hours we spent working in the caves or driving to and from. Around 2011, Andy retired from the Conservation Committee and I took over. That meant I now had to organize the lunch and dinner at each event. I’ve been streamlin- VARlunteers get ready to go to work at the 2019 restoration at Grand Caverns ing it, but nowadays it feels like I spend more time with food procurement and prep than Grand Caverns, formerly known as “chores” they’d like done each year. Some of underground doing conservation. The point Weyers Cave, was established as a park in the chores we VAR cavers do each year are of this is that we did start keeping track of Grottoes, Virginia, under the newly formed hauling gravel and doing algae abatement in volunteer value hours in 2012. The next bit Upper Valley Regional Park Authority. commercial Grand Caverns and speleothem concerns itself with these statistics. Perpetually underfunded, the group gladly repair in Fountain. We learned quickly not I used an average of 6 hours for in-cave welcomed caver volunteers from all over to fill up a bucket with gravel because it’s a time even though some cavers put in the Virginia Region (VAR). October 1983 heavy, long way to carry it to the Oyster Shell more time the night before or day after. saw the first cave conservation weekend, room. We noted each speleothem repair we Driving time is included when counting ConCave I, focusing on formation repair did and hung bright yellow labels on them. volunteer value hours. I used the chart on in Fountain Cave. The project attracted so Some years we matched a lot of broken the Independent Sector website* for the many volunteers that the cave management pieces to where they had been broken, some monetary value data. I rounded up to the recruited the local women’s group to make us only a few. Over 500 broken formations nearest hour and dollar; our grand total for sandwiches, which they brought and served have been repaired to date. their stumps volunteer value is nearly $56,000! That to us inside Fountain Cave. The repair of a Often one of the rewards, if you were averages out to almost $7,000 per year that multi-piece, 20-inch-diameter stalagmite, camping out on Saturday night, was to VAR cavers are donating to Grand Caverns. with an 8-foot-long piece that was hoisted “tour” the cave after hours. One time, Jim Wow! And we think it’s fun! by ropes and pulleys atop its base, was the McConkey led us on a candlelighttour so The stats for the subsequent years are capstone project of the weekend. I’m not we could see how early tourists viewed the shown in the table below: sure how it got knocked off, but we fixed it. cave. He and Craig Hindman both possess Most of the speleothems we fixed in Fountain were much smaller. Approximately a year later ConCave In-cave Monetary Year Volunteers Driving Hours Total Hours II was held, and about 1985 the VAR took Hours Value ($) over and started hosting yearly field restora- tion camps at Grand Caverns. These camps 2012 22 121 132 253 5,601 were held at various times, but after a while they all started being held on Easter weekend 2013 33 140 198 338 7,622 and we called them “Easter Restoration at Grand Caverns.” The then-chair of the VAR 2014 27 112 162 274 6,321 Conservation Committee, Andy Reeder, organized these annual work weekends. We 2015 25 107 150 257 6,055 would camp out on the property, usually next to the pavilion with the giant fireplace. 2016 40 182 240 422 10,187 He, his wife Anne Reeder, and friends would 2017 23 115 138 253 6,247 provide the workers a sandwich lunch and a gourmet meal for dinner. Andy’s cooking 2018 17 84 102 186 4,730 was worth all the gravel hauling that we did during the day! 2019 29 156 174 330 8,976 Carol Tiderman is the liaison with the park management and gets the list of TOTAL 216 1,017 1,296 2,338 $55,739

34 NSS News, April 2021 Because of COVID-19, we had to want more information about the project’s Easter weekend) event cannot be done cancel this fun annual event both in 2020 early days, read it. Thanks to Jim McConkey without many volunteers. I’d like to thank and 2021. Hopefully in 2022 we’ll be back for finding that article and revising my first everyone who has ever participated in our doing whatever needs doing and racking up paragraph. Also, I thank Jim McConkey conservation efforts—THANK YOU! some more volunteer value hours. Anyone and Carol Tiderman for fact checking me. is welcome to join us! Like any ongoing conservation project, the *https://independentsector.org/resource/ Andy Reeder wrote an article about this Grand Caverns Spring Restoration (renamed vovt_details/ accessed on January 14, 2021 project in the March 2006 NSS News. If you in 2019 because we had to move it from

The Learning Must Go On! Conservation Education during COVID Dave and Tracy Jackson — CaveSim.com

The past year has been quite challenging individual NSS members, and also by a learning about energy and waves. During for people of all ages. For a moment, put grant from the NSS Education Division. each class period, 30 to 40 students saw live yourself in the shoes of a child. Imagine being This support has allowed us to improve the demonstrations with cave rescue phones and a kid in elementary school. Now try to wrap online programs by purchasing high-quality high-tech electronic test equipment to help your mind around ever-changing COVID cameras, microphones, and computer drives students visualize electromagnetic waves. lockdowns and restrictions. Try learning (for storing the video content that we create). We used speakers to push on water, helping math, science, writing, and reading while It has also enabled us to create over a dozen students understand that sound is a form of constantly switching from in-class to online educational videos to help schools that can’t mechanical energy. And each student used learning and back again. Can you see that use live online classes, including a 40-minute a kit of materials to make paper-cup tele- by constantly changing the way that kids film about bat conservation featuring bat phones and do exothermic reactions with attend school, the pandemic has severely rehabber and NSS member Donna Frazier. laundry detergent. We wrapped up with a disrupted kids’ sense of “normal” and seri- Prior to each online class, teachers carbide demonstration and lesson about ously impacted their ability to learn? In the receive a short list of simple materials for conservation. face of this educational crisis, CaveSim has hands-on experiments that students do After each program, teachers provide stepped up to serve students and teachers at during the class. For lessons about bat biol- feedback, and 100% of the teachers that school around the US. ogy and conservation, students use an extra we have worked with have said that they Under normal circumstances, CaveSim mask to make a blindfold for an echolocation would like to continue the program. As one teaches pre-K through 12th grade students game. For classes about physics and vertical teacher from Austin, Texas wrote, “This about science and conservation by bringing caving, students gather materials to make a is the best thing we’ve done all year! You educational programs to schools all over small-scale sinkhole, as well as shoelace and were SO engaging! You constantly asked the the lower 48 states. You may have seen the metal fork to learn about friction and the students questions and they never lost focus mobile cave at the NSS Convention each Prusik. By keeping the materials simple, we because of that.” The teachers appreciate year, but you might not realize that CaveSim have found that students are able to find the how relevant the programs are to their daily is used to get kids excited about learning materials, and that some schools are provid- lessons, but they also appreciate the conser- chemistry, biology, geology, anthropology, ing kits of materials to students. vation content that we share. A teacher in and other subjects. You may also have seen During a typical online program, we join Colorado wrote, “The content was relevant the 12-foot vertical caving tower, which a class via video call for 45 to 90 minutes to our state standards and it was fun! The kids we use to teach kids the physics of pulley and the students participate in a mix of will remember what they learned today about systems and the karst hydrogeology of sink- exciting educational demos and hands-on bats, caves, and how to build a stalactite.” holes. We teach microbiology lessons with labs. During a recent day of online teaching, Having the opportunity to make a live cultures and Petri dishes, engineering we did four 1-hour classes for 6th graders positive impact with CaveSim during these and math lessons with cave rescue challenging times is very reward- phones, and bat conservation ing, and we hope that you will lessons with high-energy, hands- contact us if you know of schools on games. In short, CaveSim that would benefit from free online has an entire curriculum that is programs. You can email the aligned with academic standards authors at jacksondmit@cavesim. for numerous states, and we teach com, or visit www.cavesim.com students about many core subjects and leave a note. If you’re inter- while helping them learn to love ested in supporting this work, you caves and conservation. can do so at www.cavesim.com/ When COVID arrived in the support. We hope to be back on US, we rapidly adapted CaveSim the road again soon with in-person programs to an online format. In CaveSim programs, and we look the past year, we’ve conducted forward to the day when you can online classes for over 3000 see the new mobile caves that we students at schools across the are building with support from US, and we teach our lessons via many generous individuals and Zoom and other video conferenc- . Until then, cave softly and ing platforms. Our work is being Dave Jackson uses field phones and speakers to teach middle school stay healthy! supported generously by many students about electromagnetics during an online class.

NSS News, April 2021 35 Submit Abstracts for Conservation Save-the-Caves Conservation Grant Save-the-Caves Conservation & Management Tuesday — NSS The Conservation Committee is autho- Grant Application Process Convention in Weed, California - rized to award up to $5,000 annually For relatively uncomplicated grants Summer 2021 from our NSS Save-the-Caves Fund to to NSS members and activities, send an Calling for presentations, PowerPoints, make grants of up to $1000 to Internal e-mail application that includes the follow- workshops, or panel discussions for NSS Organizations, Grottos, Conservation Task ing points. Institutions and foundations Conservation & Management Tuesday Talks. Forces, Conservancies, or to individual NSS should submit the more formal NSS grants Please send Val Hildreth-Werker a quick members for specific projects that involve application available on the NSS website. email of your intent to present: valhildreth- cave or karst conservation, restoration, Priority is sometimes given to conservation [email protected] cleanup, or outreach. projects that provide quantitative research Limit abstracts to 250 words or less. The Conservation Committee is respon- data. Awards are based on the nature of the Include title of your presentation and the sible for establishing the application, review, project and available funds. authors’ names, professional affiliations, and award process. Recipients of these Please specify in your application: mailing addresses, and e-mail addresses. grants shall submit written reports to the • who the applicant is (name, address, For later publication in the Journal of Cave Society as stipulated by the Chairman of the telephone number and other contact and Karst Studies, abstracts must draw a Conservation Committee. To be considered information) conclusion or explain the upshot of your for a grant award, applications must include • who the official grant recipient is to be study or project in a concluding sentence. adequate description of one or more of the (name or organization, title, address, etc.) Equipment will be available for PowerPoint following: • what, specifically, the project and/or presentations. • scientific investigation of cave or karst research will entail Check http://nss2021.caves.org for conservation problems; • what benefits are expected current information on dates and venue • speleological research that will directly • when the work is to be done due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We invite contribute to cave or karst conservation; • dollar amount being requested from the abstract submissions for any Cave or Karst • remediation of ecological problems in NSS, including how it will be used Conservation or Management talks address- cave, karst, or pseudokarst areas; • a statement assuring the NSS that an ing stewardship, outreach education, cave • hands-on, in-cave efforts to restore cave article for publication, video, powerpoint, management, minimum-impact caving, or passages to a former ecological state; presentation, and/or other comparable restoration. Send abstracts by May 1, 2021 • equipment and supplies for conservation account of the completed project or to [email protected] or restoration projects that include hands- research will be provided in a form acces- on participation from cavers; sible to the membership to account for Victor A. Schmidt Conservation • or public outreach to inform and raise expenditure of NSS funds. Award awareness of cave and karst values. Please call or e-mail the Conservation The annual Victor A. Schmidt Conservation Grants are awarded Grants contact person and include your Conservation Award is given annually to throughout the year, subject to availability of phone number if you need more informa- recognize outstanding dedication to cave funds and number of applications received. tion: [email protected] con-servation. The award may be given to one NSS member or to a pair of members who qualify equally for the award based on work they have done together over time. Nominations for candidates are solicited by the NSS Awards Committee. The recipient SPELEOBOOKS.COM 518 295 7978. Cave and [email protected]. bat gifts, books, clothing and jewelry. Prompt Applications reviewed quarterly. 12 will be approved by the Board of Governors personal service since 1973. New WV Cave Books: Bulletin 20 Caves & upon recommendation of the Awards West Virginia Cave Books Karst of the Culverson Creek Basin, WV by Committee. www.WVASS.org Lucas, Balfour, and Dasher. 336 pages, 364 The recipient must have been a member Is your Grotto or Region looking for new caves caves, 208 photos, 80 maps. Color copy on in good standing of the Society for at least to explore in the Virginia area? RASS can USB drive. $35 postpaid;.Bulletin 21 Caves two years immediately prior to his/her name offer your group a complimentary place to and Karst of Mercer & Summers Counties, WV by Schaer and Dasher. 186 pages, 226 being submitted as a candidate. The Awards camp in Bath County, VA, once the COVID-19 situation has improved. There are more than caves, 131 photos, 62 maps. $25 postpaid. Committee shall give preference to candi- 100 caves within an hour drive. We support WVASS, PO Box 200, Barrackville, WV 26559 dates who have not received the Outstanding cave conservation and education. Contact Richie [email protected] 12 Service Award or Honorary Membership. Ellison at [email protected] NEW BOOK: Caving Alabama with the To nominate a caver for a the Victor A. The Richmond Area Speleological Society Huntsville Grotto by Frances Johnston, assisted Schmidt Conservation Award, please send (RASS) supports cave conservation, education by Jim Johnston, NSS 1718F. Early discoveries and research by offering grants to assist from 1956 on. Full color, softback only, 8 1/2 x complete resume and nomination letters projects aligned with these goals. To receive 11 size, 146 pages, view and order direct from describing the caver’s contributions to cave/ a grant request application please email us at Amazon.com to your home, price $19.98. 6 karst conservation over many years. Send nominations by November 15 each year to: AD RATES: Now based on the number of lines your ad takes up. It is a flat rate of $3 per line. As a guide, a Val Hildreth-Werker line holds 43-45 characters + spaces at our font and size. 10% discount for runs of 3 months or more.Payment must precede publication, but copy should be e-mailed to the editor ([email protected]), to reserve space. [email protected] Copy should be received one month prior to publication date (e.g., by May 1 for a June issue). Make checks payable to the National Speleological Society and send to: Att: NSS News Advertising, 6001 Pulaski Pike NW, Huntsville, AL35810.

36 NSS News, April 2021 Folks, Volunteer Opportunities Mortgage and the Headquarters I wanted to pass along some Society The NSS has a number of volunteer As of May 1, 2021, we will owe about news that I think will be of interest to the opportunities. This is a great way to serve $54,773 on the NSS Headquarters and membership. the society, advance our goals, get to know we expect to retire the mortgage in March Under Scott Engel, NSS Executive cavers from around the country, and stay 2022. We are in the home stretch. Our Vice President, we released two new books connected to caving while we’re dealing payments are $4959.16 per month and are in January. These include The Ballad of with the Covid outbreak. Chelsea Ballard covered by donations and rental income. I Peter Hauer by Roland Vinyard and The has stepped up to help coordinate volunteer want to thank folks for some recent dona- James Cave Project book by Catherine needs and interests. If you would like to tions to help pay down the principal of the Bishop. Both books are available from the volunteer, and earn the undying gratitude of mortgage. Keep an eye out for a push later NSS Bookstore. the society, please contact Chelsea at cbal- this year to pay off the Headquarters and We have a new initiative by Meredith [email protected]. burn the mortgage at the 2022 South Dakota Hall Weberg, Ben Tobin, and Riley Drake to convention. highlight the contents of the Journal of Cave Fundraising: NSS Brick Drive Until Covid hit the nation in March and Karst Studies in the NSS News. The In a previous issue of the NSS News, we 2020, we were earning about $60,000 per new feature, which began in last month’s highlighted the fine work of our volunteers in year from rental of the facility with potential News, is called Science Spotlight. The jour- installing our celebration bricks around the to earn $100,000 or more. Most of that nal has a very high impact rating and is an flagpole at the NSS Headquarters. A total of income was lost in 2020. As we return to import tool for researchers and is available 701 engraved bricks were laid. There is room normal (whatever that ends up being), we online to all members. for an additional 500 bricks and Maureen hope to continue our rentals. Rental income Handler, our OVP, is planning another brick- is used to help support the society; pay International Year of laying event in the near future. If you would mortgage, maintenance and utilities; and Caves and Karst like to purchase a celebration brick, please help service our debt. These are funds we Many of you have seen that George contact the NSS Office. Donations are $100 don’t have to raise from cavers to support Veni, President of the International Union per brick. The office can fill you in on details. the Society. Combined with donations from of Speleology and Executive Director for I’m relaying a short letter I recently Team 404 and many others, we’ve been able the National Cave and Karst Research received from Dr. Dwight Deal, former to carry the mortgage for the last six years Institute, has been sending out information Director, Fellow and Luminary Speaker (NSS with retirement of the mortgage next year. on 2021- the International Year of Caves 3592 FE CM) with a donation for a brick. and Karst (IYCK). The IYCK was created to “When we bought the first Team 404 teach people around the world about caves “office” in Huntsville, there was a Don’t forget that Team 404 is an and karst. It is an event organized by the similar “Buy a Cinder Block” fund- important part of the Headquarters mortgage International Union of Speleology (UIS), but raising effort. I remember that Jack and you can still contribute to the program. the UIS can’t reach the world alone. There Stellmack (former NSS President) Contact the office if you would like to join are now 155 national and international orga- and I were talking about it, and or renew. nizations partnering with the UIS. Together we figured out that there was one there are over 150 events announced around unclaimed cinderblock behind the Donations the world and many other events are already commode. Of course, we both wanted I want to thank everyone who has completed, most of which you can watch or THAT particular one. contributed to the NSS. Donations to the read about at http://iyck2021.org/index. Considerable discussion ensued, Society support our programs to explore, php/event-results/. with Sandy and the dogs bearing study, and protect caves and karst lands. More partners join the IYCK and post witness. I think our ‘discussion” Without our generous donations, many of events daily and Society members and grot- centered around who “gave a sh-t” our programs would struggle in reaching tos are asked to be one of them. This is your the most, Jack or myself. our goals. unique chance to be part of the team that is Sandy suggested that since we making a global impact to improve knowl- both had adequate justification for Secretary-Treasurer edge, and from that, appreciation, funding, flushing, that we draw lots and see Kristine Ebrey, our NSS Secretary- and protection for caves and karst. To who got to purchase that particular Treasurer, has been working hard on the become a partner is simple. Send your logo brick. Jack won. budget along with the other NSS officers. and website to the address on the Partners I just realized that I was so pissed The books for the 2020 NSS convention page of the IYCK website (www.iyck2021. (pooped?) at Jack that I never did have been closed and the society made a org), and then send your event announce- end up buying a cinder block myself. profit of $4,192 for our first virtual conven- ments as shown on the Events page. No (I did contribute in other ways, tion. Congratulations to Rich Geisler and event is too small. It is all important. however). Meredith Hall Weberg and their staff for all Join us! And visit the UIS Facebook page So, in retribution for that long- their hard work in switching gears and getting (https://www.facebook.com/uisspeleo), ago irrational reaction on my part, the convention up and running. UIS Twitter account (https://twitter.com/ please accept a measly $100 dona- Kristine is also preparing the books for a uisspeleo), and/or the UIS Instagram page tion to the NSS for a brick to add complete audit. We want to thank Ted Kayes (https://www.instagram.com/uisspeleo/). to the underpinning of our “new” for serving on the NSS Insurance Committee office.” for many years and note that Michael Dwight Deal Cicherski has now assumed that role.

NSS News, April 2021 37 There are a number of really great new which are starting to bear fruit: Teacher gateway to the Texas Hill Country with the initiatives under Adam Weaver, the NSS resources, International Year and Caves and campus of Texas State University and home Administrative Vice President. Here are Karst, Education Grants initiatives. of San Marcos Springs, the second largest some of the highlights: spring in the southwestern US. Jim “Crash” Kennedy is chairing the event and he can be SpeleoGuest Program National Cave Rescue Commission In February, the NSS Speleoguest reached at [email protected]. On February 28th, the NCRC Board of program presented in front of its 1000th Regional Coordinators (BORC) met and held student! The SpeleoGuest program is for Zoo Membership Initiative elections. We are pleased to report that they schools and other organizations who want Amanda Willis, our Public Relations selected Gretchen Baker as the new National a cave expert to speak to their group! The Chair, is working with Leia Hill and Devra Coordinator. I have accepted this selection SpeleoGuest program connects educators Heyer in the Education Division to create and officially appointed her to that position. with enthusiastic cavers and cave specialists a partnership with the San Antonio Zoo A special thanks to Anmar Mirza, who has via an online platform such as Zoom or in to fund food for their cave species collec- stepped down after serving in the position person, depending on location. For any tion. The zoo is a designated refugia for for more than 12 years. further questions about the program feel nine obligate troglobitic species from the free to contact us at [email protected] . Edwards Aquifer including the Texas blind Cave Preservation Network This program is also looking for an additional salamander, one of the first species listed The Cave Preservation network has volunteer to help with coordination efforts, under the Endangered Species Act. Cost of continued to grow, and the fundraising please contact us if you have interest! the program is $900 per year. has started to bring in tangible results. Learnmore.caves.org has had several National Cave and Karst Membership thousand views and educational material Membership increased slightly (26) in Management Symposium (NCKMS) downloads. We want to welcome Ruby The 2021 NCKMS staff has determined February 2021. As of February 28th, we had Falls Cave, located in Chattanooga, to the a venue, are finalizing their website, and have 7,327 members. Please consider renewing program. about 20 cavers on the organizing commit- your membership in the NSS. Devra Heyer, the Education Division tee. The event will be held November 1-5 Geary Schindel Chair, also has a number of new initiatives in San Marcos, Texas. San Marcos is the NSS President

The Potomac Caver Canyon in southwestern New Mexico and The recent opening of a bypass to Potomac Speleological Club located two new shelter caves, which are Twenty Pound Tick’s dive has November-December 2020, Vol. 63, No. 6 typical of the surrounding area. Hawks Nest made access to the back section of the cave, Mark Minton and his friends set out Shelter and Cold Day Shelter are two where most of the passage development to explore Coon Cave, a short blowing large openings in the canyon wall, neither exists, much more feasible. Carl Bern and cave above Shoveleater. The two are of which extends inward more than 40 feet. several other notable Colorado cavers have likely connected, but the former issues wind Traveling to the Chamisa Wilderness been surveying the Colorado stream cave. from passages that are too tight to traverse Study Area in Sandoval County, Jerry Despite being able to avoid the sump with at present. After a failed attempt to locate Atkinson, Joe Sandusky, and Mary Thiesse the new bypass, cavers still must endure chilly Coon Cave in October, which resulted in explored and mapped the 225-foot-long 43-degree water and an abundance of ear the exploration of Log Pile Cave, a small Guadalupe Cave System. The short dippers while traveling to the far reaches of vertical cave with moderate wind, Mark and cave has numerous skylights and is one of the cave. A working map shows 1.06 miles company successfully located Coon Cave the first soil-piping caves to be documented of passage, with the majority of the main during a return trip in November. After in the area. passage having been surveyed. updating rigging and reaching the dig face, Minton and his friends decided the dig is Rocky Mountain Caving The Carbide Dump worth exploring and plan to return in the Colorado Grottos of the NSS Blue Ridge Grotto future to begin a technical dig. December 2020, Vol. 38, Number 4 February 2021, Vol. 56, Number 2 Camping overnight in Kimble Pit, Chasing Google Earth leads in Montrose West Virginia cavers are staying busy Reilly Blackwell, Corey Hackley and County, Colorado, Doug Medville has with their McClungs Cave resurvey, making Penelope Vorster accumulated 854 feet located several piping caves. His latest find four trips to the cave in the past two months of survey. In the process they found deer- is a trio of caves developed along a gully, and re-mapping over 6,000 feet of passage. sized, calcite-coated bones and stepped over with multiple sinks and walk-in entrances several pit leads that remain undescended providing access between the three. The for the moment. largest of the three is Midden Cave, which is cut off from Coyote Cave by the short Southwestern Cavers Coyote Arch Cave. Collectively the trio Southwestern Region of the NSS caves extend nearly 1,200 feet down the January-February 2021, Vol. 59, No. 1 gulley, with Midden Cave being the longest Steve Peerman, Jason Banegas, and at 741 feet. Rob Wood explored the walls of Percha

38 NSS News, April 2021 IYCK Planning org/) supports the IYCK but not all show Contact Us page to send your information in Continued from page 2 caves are ISCA members. Tell show caves in the format shown on the Events page. After your area about the IYCK and ISCA. Also, your event, send a website or social media You can also use your virtual presenta- contact parks in karst areas. Show caves link, PowerPoint, PDF, or other report that tions in the ideas below: and parks are always looking for new ways describes your event’s attendance, activities, Call the news media. Television, to attract tourists. By connecting them to the and results. If you create a video, online newspapers, magazines, radio, and Internet IYCK, they can prove their importance to the story, or are part of a news report, send news media are always looking for some- regional economy and bring in more tourists those links for posting on the Events page thing different and exciting to report. They when the pandemic is over by showing they too. At the end of the year, we will compile like stories of scientific curiosity. Call and are not just local curiosities but parts of a all IYCK activities into one report that can be tell them about interesting discoveries and globally recognized valuable natural resource. used by anyone in the years ahead to demon- caves in your area. Show them your virtual Also, encourage them to connect with caves strate the importance of caves and karst. This presentation. What may not seem interest- and parks in other countries and develop report will help future speleologists find fund- ing to you could be very interesting to the sister-cave or sister-park relationships. If ing and support for exploration, research, media. Always connect your story to the they work on that during the pandemic, it and better management of caves and karst. International Year to show that caves and will result in more tourism, media attention, Why should you help? I have been karst are internationally important, and and public education later. In 2019, more exploring and studying caves for 45 years. that your words stand with a worldwide than 144 million people visited show caves. Every caver and cave scientist I have met has community that knows caves are important. Show caves are our best partners at reaching complained about damage to caves, pollu- Through the media, you will reach thousands and teaching millions of people about caves tion to karst aquifers, and/or loss of rare of people! and karst. Work with them! cave ecosystems and irreplaceable cultural Ask for proclamations. Many elected Work with partners. Several of the heritage. They all want better protection, officials make proclamations that say they steps above involve developing partnerships cooperation to support exploration, and recognize an important event. Ask the mayor for the IYCK. Think about other partners funding for much needed research. Everyone of your town, governor of your region, or who can join you. Of course, you will first wishes the public and governments under- other officials to proclaim that your town or think about speleological organizations, but stood the importance of caves and would region recognizes 2021 as the International then contact groups that are not involved stop damaging and destroying them. But Year of Caves and Karst! Be prepared to with caves. Remember that we need to teach wishes will not change anything. Action give a virtual presentation, as above, to others about caves, so tell your local hiking, will. The International Year of Caves and explain the importance of the Year. These climbing, water protection, nature, archaeo- Karst will. proclamations will get even more attention logical, or other groups that their area has Change will not happen quickly or in from the news media and will help with other caves or is karst. Join their virtual meetings one year. But the IYCK will accelerate the outreach ideas below. and give presentations. Help change them rate of change so in 10-20 years we will Contact policymakers. Who makes from groups that only use the karst to groups see huge changes compared to today. The the laws in your area that protect your envi- that understand and protect it. UIS Bureau has laid the foundation, but the ronment, water, ecosystems, and cultural Create virtual conferences. Bureau is only 12 people. We need you to heritage? Are their laws good at protecting Conferences are usually for specialists, not build on our foundation. Together, with the caves and karst? If not, call them. Show them the general public. If you organize a virtual help of our partners, and with good use of what they need to understand and help them conference, invite some of the people virtual tools and news media, we can reach develop better and more effective laws. mentioned above, such as lawmakers, land tens of millions of people. Contact land managers. Sometimes managers, and others whose work affects The benefits of the International Year you have good protection laws, but the caves and karst, but who do not under- of Caves and Karst can be enormous, but managers don’t understand caves and karst stand it. Give them free registrations to the only if you get involved and invite others to well enough to properly use them. Some conference so they can learn and create help. The theme of the Year is “Explore, managers don’t understand that caves and partnerships. They probably would not join Understand, Protect.” Explore your commu- karst are important. Teach the managers. the conference if they had to pay, but their nities. Help them understand the incredible Make them excited about caves and karst. attendance at a virtual conference will cost value of caves and karst. With that under- They will become better at protecting caves you nothing and may gain you a lot. standing, they will join us to protect these and, when the pandemic is over, they may Be creative. You are not limited to the natural treasures on and below the Earth’s become good partners in helping you find ideas in this guide. Think of other ideas that surface. Please join us and contact me if you new caves to explore! can engage the public during the pandemic, have any questions ([email protected]). Call your show caves and karst such as art, video, and music contests for parks. The International Show Caves caves and karst. Create fun programs for Association (ISCA, https://www.i-s-c-a. young people on Tik Tok, Instagram, and other social media. If you are at a univer- sity, company, or organization with its own magazine and social media, send articles for posting about your cave and karst work. It will benefit the IYCK and will be good for your career. There are many other creative possibilities. Post your activities to the IYCK It is important that you announce Everyone enjoys field trips. You can create Website. virtual trips easily with a video camera or The managers of show caves and karst parks your events, no matter how small, on the camera phone, visiting cave entrances and are great partners for the IYCK. Events page of the IYCK Website. Use the karst features, and adding digital maps later.

NSS News, April 2021 39 Photo byNicoleRidlen Dwellers Cave,Missouri Cave Salamander(Eurycealucifuga)inBluff rathbuni Texas blindcavesalamander, Eurycea , byDantéFenolio

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