The World of Caves and Cavers

"Caves are extreme environments, but caving is not an extreme sport"

-Hazel Barton
  1. There are over 50,000 caves in the US. Almost every state can boast a cave (solutional, lava, ice, or sea cave)
  2. Caves are most often formed in sedimentary rock by solution, or in lava as lava tubes, or in ice.
  3. "Karst" is a Slovenian word describing a region made up of porous limestone containing deep fissures and sinkholes and characterized by underground caves and streams
  4. Many caves are located on land managed by the BLM, National Park Service and US Forest Service, however, most caves are on private land, so are accessible only with landowner permission
  5. The Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988 protects caves and their contents on federal property. Many states also have laws protecting caves and their contents.
  6. The best way to experience a cave is to visit one of the many show caves, either privately owned or operated by the National Park Service or state parks. As with any sport, proper training and specialized equipment are necessary to cave safely and to explore and survey a cave thoroughly.
  7. Caves are a fragile, non-renewable wilderness. Once damaged or destroyed, caves and their contents cannot be recovered
    • Formations can take hundreds or thousands of years to form.
    • Unique habitats for specialized biota are easily affected by pollution, surface activities, and carelessness underground. .
    1. Cave Life
      • Trogloxenes: Cave visitors, such as bats, who spend part of their lives in caves.
        • Insect eating bats consume more than half their weight in insects each night.
        • Bats have eyes. Bats can see. Bats are mammals, with wings formed like our hands.
      • Troglobites: Cave adapted life characterized by a lack of pigment and eyes, heightened sensory nerves and longer appendages and antenna.
      • NASA is studying life forms found deep in caves that may lend insight into the forms that life may take on other planets.
      1. Cave and karst resources must be responsibly managed:
        • To protect ground water quality. Many caves are conduits for water from the surface to underground aquifers. This water is unfiltered by layers of soil and rock and will quickly deliver pollutants into the ground water -- that is then pumped for drinking water. What goes down will come up in wells and springs.
        • To protect the contents of the cave for future generations
        • To protect habitats
        1. Threats to caves and underground ecological systems:
          • Vandalism. Ignorance
          • Point and non-point surface pollution: trash, fertilizers, pesticides, effluent, herbicides, leaking underground storage tanks.
          • Quarrying. Road building
          1. The rate for serious accidents by trained cavers is very low -- much lower than for skiing, skydiving, rock climbing, hang gliding and other such outdoor "adventure" sports. The death of a trained caver is rare.

          The National Speleological Society ……

          1. Was formed in 1941 to study, explore, and conserve caves.
          2. Has 12,000 members, in 40 countries, and is the largest speleological organization in the world. The annual convention attracts 1,800 people.
          3. Worked with MacGillivary-Freeman on "Amazing Caves" for over 2 years, providing caving expertise, scientific advice, cave conservation guidance, educational material, and product review, as well as the film's stars.
          4. Has 180 local chapters in the US called "Grottos". There are several grottos in the greater DC area.
          5. Does not offer caving trips for the public. Grottos conduct training for those who would like to learn to cave, and organize caving trips. The best way to experience caving is on an organized tour in a show cave, or through programs operated by the National Park Service, National Forest Service, or state parks.
          6. Publishes a monthly magazine, the NSS News, and a juried scientific publication, Journal of Cave and Karst Studies. The Society also publishes books, and operates a bookstore (available on-line).
          7. Owns 10 cave preserves in several states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
          8. Encourages projects such as:
            • Establishing cave preserves
            • Opposing the sale of speleothems
            • Cleaning and restoring over-used caves,
            • Cooperating with private cave owners by providing information about their caves, and helping to protect these and their property from damage
            • Working with federal and state agencies to help manage cave resources, and conduct cave restoration
            • Working with state policy makers to protect caves and landowner rights.
            1. Provides grants for speleological research, exploration, education, and conservation.
            2. Works closely with the National Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service to help manage and preserve cave resources on federal lands. Thousands of hours of volunteer value are logged each year on many such projects around the country.
            3. Has two formal co-operative projects underway with the National Park Service: The Mammoth Cave Restoration Camp and the NPS Cave and Karst Resources Educational Co-op agreement.
            4. Conducts cave rescue training through the National Cave Rescue Commission. Cavers work closely with local rescue squads, sheriff departments and police to manage cave rescue situations and perform rescues from caves.
            5. Arranges the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium every two years -- the largest event of its kind in the world. This year the U.S. Forest Service in Tucson, Arizona will host the symposium.
            6. Supports cave conservancies established by cavers to purchase, lease or manage significant caves. The NSS and these conservancies work closely with land trusts, and organizations such as The Nature Conservancy.
            7. Supports Project Underground, the national program to encourage and facilitate cave and karst education in school curricula. (created along the lines of "Project Wild")
            8. Has a web site: www.caves.org