¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Merry Christmas, MACA Resto cavers!

Hey Brian, I know this is two days belated, but on behalf of all the MACA Resto Crew, we'd all like to wish our esteemed Director a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Hello Mammoth Cave Resto cavers, Resto Director Brian has asked me to send this message --that signup for the November Resto Camp (weekend) is now OPEN. The (free) event will take place Nov. 1-3 (2024) and our group will be at the Maple Springs area of Mammoth Cave, as usual. Most folks will arrive there on Friday, Nov. 1. Please see the attached Protocol Guide, which includes updated hours of operation for the Green River ferry. Be advised that it's your responsibility to call the phone number (found on the Protocol Guide as well as www.RestoreMammoth.com) just before you depart for MACA to check if the ferry is in operation--it may be closed, due to low river water levels or other reasons, in which case you must to access Maple from the North. Although no meals are provided (and you're expected to bring your own food), group members have pitched-in during the last few weekend Resto events and brought 'a dish to share' for the Saturday evening dinner--because the ferry now closes at 4pm. (Please bring an entree, side or dessert if you're able!) Otherwise, see the Protocol Guide for usual information about what else you'll need. Bring your hiking boots and prepare for some 'sherpa work' in the El Ghor passage (...Brian has mentioned to me)! --among other possible activities. Some Resto cavers consider the November weekend our best camp because of the cooler weather--perfect for a campfire. (don't forget a camp chair!) Please click on the link below and sign up sooner rather than later because it's possible all 40 available spots will fill. https://www.restoremammoth.com/2024-november-camp/ see you then! -Gary :) PS - If you sign up but later find you're unable to attend (even if it's 'last minute'), please email Resto Director Brian immediately at macarestocamp@....

----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Gary Gibula <garygibula@...> To: Gary Gibula <garygibula@...> Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 10:24:28 AM CDT Subject: Nat'l media publishes article on unrealized effects of cave trash (The following article (by the Associated Press) is in this morning's Chicago Tribune. - gg) Bag of Cheetos harms national cave Carlsbad Caverns says little problems can have big effects (PHOTO: Hundreds of mineral formations adorn the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns National Park near Carlsbad, New Mexcio. Susan Montoya Bryan/ap 2010) By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. ¡ª A bag of Cheetos gets dropped and left on the floor. Seems inconsequential, right? Hardly. Rangers at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southern New Mexico describe it as a ¡°world-changing¡± event for the tiny microbes and insects that call this specialized subterranean environment home. The bag could have been there a day or two or maybe just hours, but those salty morsels of processed corn made soft by thick humidity triggered the growth of mold on the cavern floor and on nearby cave formations. ¡°To the ecosystem of the cave it had a huge impact,¡± the park noted in a social media post, explaining that cave crickets, mites, spiders and flies soon organized to eat and disperse the foreign mess, essentially spreading the contamination. The bright orange bag was spotted off-trail by a ranger during one of the regular sweeps that park staff make through the Big Room, the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America, at the end of each day. They are looking for straggling visitors and any litter or other waste that might have been left behind on the paved trail. The Big Room is a popular spot at Carlsbad Caverns. It is a magical expanse filled with towering stalagmites, dainty stalactites and clusters of cave popcorn. From this underground wonderland in New Mexico to lake shores in Nevada, tributaries along the Grand Canyon and lagoons in Florida, park rangers and volunteers collect tons of trash left behind by visitors each year as part of an ongoing battle to keep unique ecosystems from being compromised while still allowing visitors access. According to the National Park Service, more than 300 million people visit the national parks each year, bringing in and generating nearly 70 million tons of trash ¡ª most of which ends up where it belongs in garbage bins and recycling containers. But for the rest of the discarded snack bags and other debris, it often takes work to round up the waste, and organizations like Leave No Trace have been pushing their message at trailheads and online. At Carlsbad Caverns, volunteers comb the caverns collecting lint. One five-day effort netted as much as 50 pounds. Rangers also have sweep packs and spill kits for the more delicate and sometimes nasty work that can include cleaning up human waste along the trail. ¡°It¡¯s such a dark area, sometimes people don¡¯t notice that it¡¯s there. So they walk through it and it tracks it throughout the entire cave,¡± said Joseph Ward, a park guide who is working specifically on getting the ¡°leave no trace¡± message out to park visitors and classrooms. The rangers¡¯ kits can include gloves, trash bags, water, bleach mixtures for decontamination, vacuums and even bamboo toothbrushes and tweezers for those hard-to-reach spots. As for the spilled Cheetos, Ward said that could have been avoided because the park doesn¡¯t allow food beyond the confines of the historic underground lunchroom. After the bag was discovered in July, cave specialists at the park settled on the best way to clean it up. Most of the mess was scooped up, and a toothbrush was used to remove rings of mold and fungi that had spread to nearby cave formations. It was a 20-minute job. Some cleanup jobs can take hours and involve several park employees, Ward said. Robert Melnick, professor emeritus at the University of Oregon, has been studying the cultural landscape of Carlsbad Caverns, including features like a historic wooden staircase that has become another breeding ground for ex

Can you believe it¡¯s less than a week away before the start of May Camp?! Well, I certainly can, and I better start packing. It¡¯s shaping up to be a great camp with not two, not three, but FOUR tasks on hand to keep everyone busy. Leading off we will of course have the always popular Lint Crew led by Linda and Pam. We will continue our work in El Ghor/Silliman moving the now much beloved transformer parts. In addition, our work on George¡¯s Path will continue and we also now have approval to start working from the other side and removing concrete. I know, I had the same thought, ¡°I love concrete!¡±. Lastly, we have been informed that some local hooligans have tagged an area of Cedar Sink so I will take a small torch brigade to see if we can¡¯t burn it off. We will be staying at Maple Springs and hopefully the weather will cooperate for the much-anticipated burn off between Dave and Chuck! We will be continuing the Saturday night potluck dinner as this has been a great way to hang out and catch up with our resto family. If you are in the area and looking for something to do Saturday night, bring a dish and join us for dinner. We plan on starting around 6ish. Can¡¯t wait to see you all. Brian