american caves - cavelife.infocavelife.info/pdf/2005 tumblingckcave.pdf · american caves •...

1American Caves • Spring 2005

American Cave Conservation AssociationSpring 2005www.cavern.org

AmericanCaves

In This IssueTumbling Creek Cave: An Ongoing Conservation

and Restoration ParnershipNew Section of Hidden River Cave Purchased

Thomas Hall Opens After 50 Years

2 American Caves • Spring 2005

Tumbling Creek Cave: 8An Ongoing Conservationand Restoration Partnershipby William R. Elliott, Stephen T. Samoray,Sara E. Gardner and Thomas Aley

Virginia’s Official State Bat 18by Debra L. Silverman

SectionsForum 3ACCA News 4Below America 14

Contents American CavesVol. 19 No. 1, Spring 2005

Managing Editor: Debra L. SilvermanContributing Editors: William R. Elliott,Stephen T. Samoray, Sara E. Gardner and Thomas AleyLayout & Design: Debra L. SilvermanPrinting: Liberty Printing

American Caves (ISSN 1524-4709) is an educationalpublication produced by the American Cave Conser-vation Association. Contributed manuscripts and pho-tographs are welcomed and should be addressed tothe Editor. Articles are published for educational pur-poses and do not necessarily reflect the views of theAssociation. ©The American Cave Conservation As-sociation 2005.

MEMBERS: Please send change of address and corre-spondence to: P.O. Box 409, Horse Cave, KY 42749;(270)786-1466. Email: [email protected]

Board of Directors:President: Jim Richards; Vice President: Horton H. HobbsIII; Secretary: Dave Derrick; Treasurer: Steve Sullivan;Directors: Thomas Aley; Richard C. Bell; Richard Blenz;Patricia Daugherty; Jeff Hohman; Dr. Philip E.LaMoreaux; Julian J. Lewis, Ph.D., Dr. James W.Middleton, Jr.; Jim Nieland; Anna G. Smith; BernardW. Szukalski

Honorary Directors:Honorary President: John Wilson; The HonorableFrederick C. Boucher; William R. Halliday, M.D.; Dr.Francis G. Howarth; Joyce Kelly; Ronal Kerbo; JohnMacGregor; Roy D. Powers, Jr.; Dr. Merlin Tuttle; PamelaWhite

Executive Director: David G. FosterAdministrative Assistant: Shannon L. JohnsonMarketing/Community Relations: Peggy A. NimsChief Interpreter: Christopher ClarkMuseum Staff: Hannah Carroll; Sherry Delk; EdithJohnson; Jeremy Logsdon; Stan McKenney; DonnaMonroe; Anthony Russell; Charolay Russell

The American Cave Conservation Association was in-corporated in 1981 in the Commonwealth of Virginiafor scientific and educational purposes. The Associa-tion is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under Sec-tion 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is apublicly supported organization as defined in Sec-tions 170(b)(1)(IV) and 509(a) Contributions are taxdeductible. Membership includes: Student $15; Regu-lar/Subscription $25; Foreign $30; Family: $35; Sup-porter: $50; Sustainer: $100; Guarantor: $200; Bene-factor: $500; Patron: $1,000.

Visit our web site: http://www.cavern.org

Photos:Front: Steve Samoray at the weir in the Big Room,Tumbling CreekCave, Missouri. This structure is used to visually gauge stream flow.Photo by William R. Elliott, 23 May 2005

Back:Large formation, main chamber, Chimney Cave, New Mexico.Photo by John Charles Woods

“Below America” Graphic: Courtesy Bob Springston.


ForumFrom the Director

Dear ACCA Member:

After five years of planning,fundraising and hair pulling,construction on the next phase ofthe American Cave Museum hasfinally begun. Over the next yearwe will spending more than $1.5million to renovate the historicbuildings that lie adjacent to theAmerican Cave Museum in HorseCave.

The project is complex. It involvesrenovating several buildings whichwere constructed around the rim ofthe entrance to Hidden River Cave.These buildings are situated in oneof the most unique settings inAmerica. Visiting tourists often ask“why was the museum buildingconstructed along the cliff facebeside the cave entrance?”

In my column this issue, I thoughtI’d share a bit of the unique “cavewar” era history which led to theconstruction of the museumbuilding. To get to the bottom ofthe story, I consulted local book-store owner and historian TomChaney. Here’s the story in Tom’sown words –

“Back around the 1920s, two ofHorse Cave’s most prominentbusinessmen, Clarence Owens andcave owner Harry Thomas feudedconstantly. Noone knows how thefeud started. Perhaps they werejealous of each others ideas and

projects ... or maybe it started over awoman. No one knows.

What is generally thought to be trueis that Clarence Owens owned theproperty where the cave museumbuilding now sits and built thebuilding out of spite, knowing thatHarry Thomas was interested inpreserving the cave entrance.

Over the years, I have heard severalstories of the feud. The mostinteresting relates to a time whenClarence Owens and a group of menwere standing on the corner ofWater and Main Streets. HarryThomas was walking down thesidewalk and has he passed thegroup of men, a knife was stuck inhis side.

Harry turned and as he turnedClarence Owens fled. Harry caughtup with Clarence in the middle ofWater Street and proceeded to beatthe tar out of him so severely thatClarence allegedly was forced tospend time recuperating in a hospitalin Louisville.

Clarence Owens then sued HarryThomas for the public beating. Onthe day of the trial, a well dressedstranger appeared in the back of thecourtroom. When it was discoveredthat he was a private detective hiredby the Thomas’ to spy on ClarenceOwens, the lawsuit was abruptlydropped. According to my sources,the man would have testified thatClarence Owens was recuperating ina house of ill repute ... not a hospi-tal.”

The Clarence Owens/Harry Thomasfeud stories may be apocryphal, butone aspect of the feud left behind alegacy which affected Horse Cavefor the rest of the century. Sometimein the late 1930s, Clarence Owensbuilt a sewer line from one of hisdowntown buildings and dischargedthe waste directly into the mainpassage of Hidden River Cave.When Harry Thomas discovered this,he filed suit against Clarence Owensfor polluting the cave. Clarencecountersued for trespass since heowned property over the backsection of the cave. Clarence’slawsuit, along with growing pollu-tion problems and slowing publicvisitation during World War II, leddirectly to the closing of HiddenRiver Cave for more than 50 years.

Today, the City of Horse Cave ownsmost of the cave properties whichClarence and Harry bickered over.The renovation of these buildingsand planned expansion of the toursinto Hidden River Cave are at longlast putting to rest a divisive localfeud which began nearly a centuryago.

And now, as Paul Harvey says, “youknow the rest of the story ....”

David G. Foster

Executive Director

Cave Museum Expansion Ends A Century


ACCA News

New SectionNew SectionNew SectionNew SectionNew Sectionof Hidden River Cave Purchasedof Hidden River Cave Purchasedof Hidden River Cave Purchasedof Hidden River Cave Purchasedof Hidden River Cave Purchased

The Horse Cave City Council, during their February 2005meeting, approved the purchase of a tract of land lyingbetween Highway 31W and the railroad tracks andadjacent to the current city park. American Cave Conser-vation Association Director, Dave Foster explained to thecouncil that the land would be purchased by the city with agrant from the Kentucky Heritage Land ConservationFund.

The land was purchased from the Joe Chaney Estate for$11,600. Foster explained that the cave tract lying belowthe property was a critical part of the ACCA’s effort toacquire the historic tour sections from the entrance ofHidden River Cave to Sunset Dome, the cave’s largestroom.

Cave Museum Construction BeginsCave Museum Construction BeginsCave Museum Construction BeginsCave Museum Construction BeginsCave Museum Construction Begins

Five years of planning and fundraising have at long last ledto the beginning of a renovation project to expand theAmerican Cave and Karst Center into three historicbuildings which surround the entrance of Hidden RiverCave.

Tim Peters of Peters Construction Company of Louisville,Kentucky will be acting as construction manager for theproject. The first phase of the work is primarily involvingexterior work such as tuckpointing the brick walls,replacing windows and replacing the roof. The construc-tion is expected to be completed in time for the summer2006 season.

Funding for the project has come from numerous dona-tions from ACCA members and several major grants

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Above: Horse Cave Mayor JoAnne Smith signed the deed to property purchased by the city from the Joe ChaneyEstate for the American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA). Funds for the purchase were provided by theKentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund (KHLCF). City Attorney Pat Ross, right, looks on along with from left,ACCA Executive Director Dave Foster; KHLCF staff member Mary Jean Eddins, Marcia Witherspoon, representingthe Joe Chaney Estate, and KHLCF attorney Barbara Pauley.


including support from the James Graham Brown Foun-dation, federal Community Block Grant Program, federalTEA-21 program, and federal HUD funding. Completionof the project will result in additional giftshop and lobbyspace, a small theatre area, additional exhibit areas, andspace for a karst library on the third floor.

Thomas Hall Opens After 50 YThomas Hall Opens After 50 YThomas Hall Opens After 50 YThomas Hall Opens After 50 YThomas Hall Opens After 50 Yearsearsearsearsears

A new walkway constructed at Hidden River Cave hasopened an area of the cave that has not been shown to thepublic since 1943. The new walkway skirts the edge of theenormous “First Dome” chamber and provides a view of alarge underground river canyon known as Thomas Hall,which is named for the cave’s previous owners.

Dr. G. A. Thomas began giving tours of the cave aroundthe turn of the century. In 1916, his son Dr. H.B. Thomas,installed a lighting system and improved the tours. Back inthe 1920s and 1930s, tourist could walk a system ofwooden stairs and bridges through the hall which eventu-ally led to Sunset Dome, the cave’s largest chamber.

The project had been planned as part of the ACCA’s springcleanup on April 30th but was postponed when a largestorm dumped several inches of water into the cave andmade it impossible to move materials to the walkwaylocation. During the workday, 30 volunteers turned out to

help carry several thousand pounds of plastic wooddecking to the edge of the flood zone.

Once the floodwaters receded, the project continuedunder the supervision of Paul Carter, a local constructioncontractor. The walkway was constructed of recycledplastic wood and stainless steel handrails.

Top right and bottomleft: Contractor PaulCarter constructs thesteel frame for the newwalkway to the edgeof Hidden RiverCave’s Thomas Hall.Inset: Thomas Hall,Hidden River Cave,Kentucky. Photo byMitchell, Pflanze,CarneyAC

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ACCA


Rio Spring VRio Spring VRio Spring VRio Spring VRio Spring Volunteer Cleanupolunteer Cleanupolunteer Cleanupolunteer Cleanupolunteer Cleanupby: Jerry Matera

Hart County officials, landowners, cavers, and sciencestudents worked together on March 8, 2005 to wipe outan illegal dump on the Green River. The dumpsite was inan area near the Rio Spring that, along with the greenRiver, feeds the Green River Water District facility atCanmer, Kentucky.

The biggest part of the labor force consisted of 20 envi-ronmental science students from Waynesburg College inPennsylvania. Tom Smith, a biology professor at thecollege coordinates an annual field study trip to MammothCave.

Smith’s local contact, Mammoth Cave National Parkecologist Rick Olson, coordinates Don’t Mess WithMammoth work projects for the class trip, each projectenvironmentally significant to the health of the cave regionand Mammoth Cave itself.

Olson said the cleanup was important to the Green Riverin several ways. “Green River is a drinking source for theregion, and it is a good bet that residents of communitiessuch as Horse Cave, Cave City, Park City and Brownsvillewould prefer high quality water.

He also noted that water quality is important to fish andshellfish that live in the river. “We have 82 species of fishand 50 species of mussels, of which six are listed asendangered, in the river. The mussels and other animalswhich live on the river bottom are the means for cleaning

up organic pollution, as long as there is not too much,”Olson pointed out.

Finally, Olson commented that the quality of the river hasan economic effect on the area. “Canoeing and kayaking ispopular on Green River, and people need to feel safehaving contact with the water.”

The Hart County Road Department provided equipmentand some manpower to assist in the cleanup. Members ofthe Hart of Kentucky Grotto, a local caving group and theAmerican Cave Conservation Association, also assistedwith the clean-up. Approximately two tons of trash, notincluding heavy metal objects, were removed from the site.Reprinted with permission from the Hart County NewsHerald, March 17, 2005

ACCA Spring CleanupACCA Spring CleanupACCA Spring CleanupACCA Spring CleanupACCA Spring Cleanupat Hidden River Caveat Hidden River Caveat Hidden River Caveat Hidden River Caveat Hidden River Cave

A huge storm dumped several inches of rain on HorseCave the day before ACCA’s annual spring restorationproject at Hidden River Cave. The flood waters altered theday’s plans but didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of thevolunteers one bit.

More than 30 volunteers from Kentucky and Ohiogathered at Horse Cave on April 30th with the initial goal

Students from Waynesburg College comprised the major labor forcein the cleanup of a dump on the Glen Lilly Road.

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A member of the Cleveland Grotto clears brush and loose rocksalong the edge of the 50 foot cliff at the Hidden River Caveentrance. AC

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of helping to build a new walkway which would open up aview of the cave’s Thomas Hall. As the volunteers werearriving, the river in Hidden River Cave had risen morethan 10 feet out of its bed, making it impossible to get tothe construction site.

As a compromise, the group moved the materials for thenew trail (mostly plastic lumber decking) as far into thecave as possible and instead focused their efforts onpruning and cleaning the cave entrance area. Several ofthe cavers hung ropes along the 50 foot cliff surroundingthe cave and spent the afternoon trimming brush anddislodging loose rocks from these hard to reach areas.

Another group of volunteers weeded, planted andmulched a triangular garden area near the cave entrance,and trimmed ivy off a historic stairway and the old ticketoffice building.

“The project, cosponsored by the National SpeleologicalSociety Cleveland Grotto, lured a nice blend of volunteers,”said American Cave Museum Education Specialist PeggyNims. “We had members of the Cleveland Grotto,students from Western Kentucky University, Boy Scouts,Hart of Kentucky Grotto members and local Hart Countyresidents.”

One of the local volunteers, J.D. Trembula, shared his skillsas a Lincoln Trail Master Gardner. “I have taken classes atBernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, ElizabethtownCommunity College, and the Louisville Zoo,” the Cub Runresident said. He plans on studying horticulture, botany orsomething else with plants at Berea College in the fall of2006.

Another volunteer, Ben Garayua, is part of the Green RiverWatershed Watch. Garayua, an electronics technician whoworks with computers, assisted videographer, BenjaminVon Cramen, who was taping the project. This is one of

many volunteer projects for which Garayua volunteers.“This year I hope to be involved in Habitat for Humanity,”he said. “I want to lean about how houses are built.”

Rebecca Bixby, a member of the Cleveland Grotto fromCanton, Ohio, strapped on climbing gear and rappelledover the edge of the sinkhole to clear brush. “I love cavingand this comes with it,” Bixby said. “We should give back.”

ACCA sends out a special thank you to all the volunteersthat helped out including: Ryan Irwin, Cory Dalton,Rebecca Bixby, Melisa Bishop, Adam Varns, Sandra Wilson,Gary McDowell, Michael Devlin, Deborah Harler, CurtHarler, Marjorie Harler, John Prisel, Deborrah Prisel,Carolyn Trent, Darla Richards, Donna Nordgren, BillNordgren, Steven Scott, Casimier Dec, Paul Imbrogio,Victor Fowler, George Willard, Andrew Linsenmeier,Missy Shields, Victoria Bryant, Joseph Trembula, DavidTrembula, Joseph D. Trembula, Jack Mueller, Debby Tyson,Katie Tyson, Cynthia Norris, and Ben Garayua.

Top right and bottom left: Cleveland Grotto members rigged ropesand donned climbing gear to clear brush along the Hidden RiverCliff face during ACCA’s annual spring cleaup.AC

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ACCA


The famous Tumbling Creek Cave (TCC), in Taney County,Missouri, has so many interesting and valuable featuresthat it is difficult to enumerate them all. A 2,550-acre tractin southern Missouri karst serves as the home of theOzark Underground Laboratory (OUL), established in1966 and operated by Tom and Cathy Aley and their staffof six. In his practice as a hydrologist, speleologist andforester, Tom travels the world to conduct water tracingstudies, advise cave owners, and troubleshoot cave andkarst problems. Cathy, a biologist, is involved in OUL’smany studies and the daily operations of the lab. Thenonprofit TCC Foundation now owns 263 acres aroundthe natural entrance, to continue protection of the caveinto the future.

TCC is an educational and research cave, one of the mostamazing biological caves in the USA. A National NaturalLandmark, TCC has the highest recorded biodiversity ofany American cave west of the Mississippi River, rivaledonly by Tooth Cave and Stovepipe Cave in Austin, Texas.Currently 111 species are listed in the Missouri Cave LifeDatabase from TCC, including 12 species of troglobites(cave-limited creatures with reduced or absent eyes andpigment; see table 1). TCC has appeared in a NationalGeographic special, other TV programs, news and scien-tific articles. The cave harbors three endangered species:gray bats, Indiana bats and the Tumbling Creek cavesnail;the latter is nearly extinct. Scientists have been studyingthis cave in cooperation with the Aleys for nearly 40 years.

Tumbling Creek Cave:An Ongoing Conservation

and Restoration Partnership

by William R. Elliott, Stephen T. Samoray,Sara E. Gardner and Thomas Aley - March, 2005

Table 1. About 10% of Tum-bling Creek Cave’s species aretroglobites Species in bold areunique to this cave, while twomarked with an * may betroglophiles, which are lesscave-adapted.

Typhlotriton spelaeus, Grotto salamander, Tumbling Creek Cave, Taney County, Missouri

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Antrobia culveri Tumbling Creek cavesnail

Arrhopalites clarus cave springtail

Brackenridgia ashleyi trichoniscid isopod

Caecidotea antricola Antricola cave isopod

Causeyella dendropus Causeyella cave millipede

Chaetaspis aleyorum Aleys’ cave millipede

Islandiana sp.* cave spider

Phalangodes flavescens* harvestman

Spelobia tenebrarum Cave dung fly

Stygobromus onondagaensis Onondaga cave amphipod

Stygobromus ozarkensis Ozark cave amphipod

Typhlotriton spelaeus Grotto salamander


TCC’s biodiversity is measured not only in terms of itsspecies richness, but in the rarity of its troglobites. BillElliott of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC)has developed a biodiversity index for Missouri caves thataccounts for the number of species, number of troglobites,and how endemic or rare those troglobites are. Some areunique to TCC, such as the cavesnail, a new millipedenamed after the Aleys by Dr. Julian Lewis, and a newisopod named after Dr. David C. Ashley, a biology profes-sor at Missouri Western State University (see table).

Besides its biological wonders, TCC is a gorgeous cavewith a delightful, gurgling stream, called “Tumbling Creek.”The Aleys lead occasional educational tours for college andprofessional groups. Each group gets an introduction tokarst on the surface, views sinkholes, then enters theartificial shaft entrance, which has two airlock doors tokeep the cave from drying out. The visitors bring their ownlights and follow a rudimentary trail. The cave has beendisturbed very little by this educational use.

OUL has sponsored many studies of the cave and its life.Tom and Cathy did extensive dye tracing to delineate the

recharge area of the cave, and they studied groundwaterinfiltration rates to the cave. A state-of-the-art datalogging system designed by Ralph Ewers is collectingwater quality data from the cave stream. The Aleys alsostudied the potential long-term impacts of using bleach tocontrol plant growth in show caves, and natural alpharadiation concentrations on behalf of the National CavesAssociation. Other projects have included extensivestudies of TCC’s cavesnail and stream fauna by DavidAshley. Several biologists have estimated bat numbers.Eileen Fair from Southern Illinois University did a Ph.D.dissertation on variations in water quality and quantity instalactite drippage. Mickey Fletcher did an enormous M.S.thesis on the micobial succession on guano piles in thecave. Barbara Martin from University of Illinois at ChicagoCircle did a master’s thesis on the arthropods on guanopiles (and increased the size of the fauna list), and HollyNeill from Southwest Missouri State prepared a recentmaster’s thesis on the effects of land use on TumblingCreek Cave.

Even though TCC is appreciated and protected well,something unexpected happened in recent years. A cattle

The weir in Tumbling Creek Cave gauges water flow. Detectors in the stream lead to a data logger.

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operation was developed on a nearby farm, resulting inovergrazing and forest clearing, which loaded the ground-water with sediments. The cave has no open swallowholeupstream, but the sediments worked their way downthrough losing streams into the cave. Muck visibly built upin the cave stream, which is normally floored with cobbles.Some areas are so covered by sediment now that onecannot pull up rocks that used to be loose. Now the littlecavesnail, Antrobia culveri, is nearly extinct. In 1972 aresearcher estimated that 15,000 cavesnails lived under thestream rocks. Fewer cavesnails were noticed by 1991.Population estimates of the cavesnails by Dr. Ashley andDr. Paul McKenzie, United States Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS), have documented the decline since 1996.

The Tumbling Creek Cavesnail Working Group wasfounded by Paul McKenzie to bring together experts fromthe region. We are studying the cave with other scientiststo determine what happened. Sediments probably hurt thecavesnail and other life, but we also are checking forchemical contaminants with Semi-permeable MembraneDevices (SPMDs) and Polar Organic Chemical InteractiveSamplers (POCIS) that mimic live organisms in absorbingwaterborne chemicals. Dr. John Besser of the U.S. Geo-logical Survey is analyzing sediment samples for heavymetals and organic contaminants.

Dr. Paul Johnson of the Tennessee Aquarium ResearchInstitute is an expert in propagating aquatic snails that havedeclined because of environmental problems in southernstreams. He is working towards breeding a suitable test or“surrogate” species of snail in his laboratory. If the methodsare successful, and if enough TCC cavesnails can be foundagain, it may be possible to propagate them in the lab, andthen put them back into a repaired Tumbling Creeksomeday, albeit genetic variability may be reduced.

The Aleys feel that light agriculture can be compatible witha karst system; they do some cattle raising and hay

cropping on parts of their land. MDC and the USFWS areassisting the Aleys, who bought the nearby, abusedproperty with their own funds. With cost-share funds theyreplanted 67,000 trees to restore the land. Tom and Cathyhave overseen the planting of native species, such as blackoak, northern red oak, white oak, black gum, blackwalnut, green ash, dogwood, redbud, sycamore and a fewshort-leaf pines. They expect that sassafras, hickories andpersimmons will re-establish naturally from the surround-ing areas. Another cost-share project with the NationalPark Service is helping to clear the land of trash, whichwas dumped or buried in several places.

TCC provides habitat for eight species of bats. The Indianabat (Myotis sodalis) has been reported in TCC on a limitednumber of occasions, though early anecdotal accountsindicate that the bat used the cave as a hibernation site inthe past. The latest observation was in February 2005,more than 10 years since the previous report. With thenew cave gate (discussed below), fewer disturbances maylead to more frequent winter use of the cave by theseendangered bats.

The gray bat (Myotis grisescens) forms large colonies incaves, summer and winter. This makes cave protection forthis species especially important. TCC’s gray bats havebeen studied extensively because of their large numbersand the importance of the nutrient input provided by theirguano (possibly 95% of the energy input to this cave isfrom bat guano). The earliest known population estimatesin the late 1960s ranged up 150,000 bats. In 1976 therewere 36,000. Over the next 20 years the numbers varied,but generally did not exceed 15,000. The last outflightcount before the new gate was built was about 12,000 in1998.

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Antrobia culveri, Tumbling Creek cavesnail, about 2 mm diameter.

A small, late summer cluster of Gray bats, Myotis grisescens,Missouri


Explaining this decline of TCC’s gray bats is difficult. Wethink that the contributing causes of the decline mighthave been 1) grays declined throughout their range andlocally over several decades, 2) an internal cave gate mayhave hindered movements of the bats, 3) disturbance byintruders via the natural entrance (not then owned andprotected by the Aleys), and 4) disturbance and decline atthe bat’s hibernation sites some distance away.

Steve and Sara monitored the gray bats every monththrough October, 2004. They used internal visual surveys,guano estimates, and infrared video counts of outflights (amethod first used in Missouri by Bill). This is by far themost intense monitoring effort of this population, and itconsequently revealed several interesting aspects of thisspecies’ use of TCC.

Steve and Sara found large fluctuations in the number ofbats roosting in the cave throughout the summer.Outflight count numbers ranged from a low of18,100-19,800 in May to a high of 31,700-38,300 inAugust. Also, the bats had more erratic emergencepatterns during the first two months of the study whencompared to the final few months, possibly a result of thenew gate. Finally, internal surveys of the cave and the freshguano (as measured with plates on wooden stakes, seeabove photo), revealed frequent movements amongseveral roosts in the cave; a rare observation for thisspecies, which has very strict temperature and humiditypreferences.

This in-cave movement prompted Steve and Sara to start adetailed study of the internal temperature variation in TCC,using 20 temperature data loggers to define temperature

profiles from 32 points in the cave. Some of the labor andequipment is provided by Dr. Steve Jones’ students fromDrury University. We hope to answer several questionsabout the temperatures in TCC and the gray bat’s use of

Sara Gardner checks guano in the Batmobile Room, Tumbling Creek Cave. Stakedplates are for measuring guano deposition.

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Steve Samoray installs a Hobo Pro tempera-ture data logger in Tumbling Creek Cave.

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Sara Gardner checks guano accumlated on a staked plate, TumblingCreek Cave.


this cave. These include, but are not limited to, how dowater temperature changes influence the ambient cavetemperature? What is the yearly temperature profilethroughout the cave? How do the bats influence thesetemperatures? What are the gray bat’s temperaturepreferences and how do these preferences changethroughout the summer season? Ultimately this knowl-edge will help predict where the bats may be located atcertain times of the year, allowing more cautious visitationto specific areas of the cave.

To put a piece back into the TCC puzzle, a team of 18conservationists built the world’s largest chute gate on thenatural entrance in 2004. A chute gate’s function is to keepintruders out of the cave to protect the bats and the othercave resources; the bats fly in and out of the chute. Whenwe gate a cave like this, we do it not just for one species,but for an entire cave community. A chute gate is a typedeveloped since 1996 by Roy Powers of the AmericanCave Conservation Association (ACCA), in Missouri and

Tennessee. It allows us to construct gates on some gray batcave entrances where we could not do so before. A chutegate is used for low, wide entrances, where there is notenough height to build the usual half gate, or flyover gate,for a maternal colony of gray bats. In most of its range,gray bat maternal colonies do not tolerate a full gate thatcompletely covers the cave passage, even if it be properlyspaced for bats. However, we can construct a rectangularmetal chute, sheathed in expanded metal (mesh), thatangles up from the vertical wall of the gate, high enough tobe out of the reach of most intruders.

We built the chute gate in March and April, 2004 underthe direction of Roy Powers and Jim Kaufmann (Caves &Karst, Inc). Staff from OUL, MDC, and a couple ofvolunteers constructed the 9-ton gate. The Aleys providedfood and lodging, saving us a lot of travel in this remotepart of the Ozarks. The cost of the gate was about$25,000, paid from an MDC “State Wildlife Grant.” Theprice does not include in-kind services and volunteer time.

Construction of the Tumbling Creek Cave gate, March 2004. Roy Powers and Tom Aley, lower left.

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Kenny Sherrill fabricated the strong, locking door on thegate. Jim Kaufmann returned several times to complete thewelding and strengthen the gate. The gate withstood about150 cubic feet per second of water outflow in May, 2004, a25-year record. Meanwhile, the old internal gate wasremoved to expand the flyway for the bats. We observedreturning gray bats using the chute gate before it was evenfinished, which was a good sign. Our outflight countsfrom infrared video indicated a large increase in the colonyover the 1998 visual count, even before the full maternityseason. The gate appears to be a success.

To add security, we installed a new type of electronic secu-rity system to the gate, to detect intruders and vibrations ofthe gate itself. This system alerts the Aleys at their house,about 1000 ft. away. We are still tweaking the design.

Construction of the Tumbling Creek Cave gate, March 2004.

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MDC is increasing its efforts to help Missouri cave ownersand provide public education about caves and karst.MDC’s Private Lands Division and USFWS are workingwith OUL and a local school to replace a sewage lagoonthat presently loses about 88% of its contents into thegroundwater system that feeds TCC. In doing this, thestudents will get to learn about karst, groundwater andcaves. Bill has assembled a new “Cave Trunk” for teachersand conservationists to use in educational projects. Itcontains books, curriculum guides, videos, posters, batmodels and a 3D karst groundwater model that illustrateshow inter-connected cave systems can be.

It is troubling that one of the most protected private cavesin the Ozarks, in a rural area with little industry or rowcrops, still developed such ecological problems. However,the lessons we have learned and the methods we havedeveloped will be useful to others restoring cave commu-nities or living on karst.

UPDATE: Snail biologists Paul Johnson, TennesseeAquarium Research Institute, and Stephanie Clark,post-doc at University of Alabama, found 67 Antrobiaculveri, Tumbling Creek cavesnail, in three areas of thecave stream on May 23. Parts of the streambed arestarting to clear of sediments that were deposited overthe last decade from poor land practices on neighbor-ing land in the recharge area. This gives us new hopethat the species will recover, although propagationstudies are still being planned and land restoration andtree planting continues.

Closeup photo of the chute gate, Tumbling Creek Cave, March 2004.

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Below Americathroughout the state. For moreinformation, contact The NatureConservancy in Arkansas at (501)663-6699 or visit www.nature.org/arkansas.http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/arkansas/press/press1761.html

Alexander Cave Donated toAlexander Cave Donated toAlexander Cave Donated toAlexander Cave Donated toAlexander Cave Donated toThe Nature ConservancyThe Nature ConservancyThe Nature ConservancyThe Nature ConservancyThe Nature ConservancyCave shelters federally endangeredGray bat nursery

Nashville, Tennessee— 27 January2005 — A Perry County cave, whichserves as a baby bat nursery, has beendonated to The Nature Conservancyby a Florida businessman.

Alexander Cave, and the surrounding210 acres, was originally part of alarge timber company holding thatwas sold to M.C. Davis, of Santa RosaBeach, Fla., last year.

“The Nature Conservancy has wantedto find a way to protect AlexanderCave for years and we had beencommunicating with the previouslandowner. When Mr. Davis askedthem about any special places on theproperty, they told him about the caveand our interest,” said HeatherGarland, cave and karst director forThe Nature Conservancy.

When Davis learned that the caveserved as a summertime nursery forGray bat pups, he contacted Garland.Gray bats are on the federallyendangered species list and up to30,000 have been known to use thecave in the summer.

“It is rewarding to join efforts withThe Nature Conservancy, the state ofTennessee and local residents forlong-term protection of a bat cave.Hopefully this successful effort will

during a 2001 survey. To increase thebats’ population, Snell said studies togather more information aboutroosting needs will be conducted, anda forest plan designed to enhance thematernity roosting needs of theIndiana bats will be based on thesefindings.

“This tract is truly a special piece ofproperty for a lot of different reasons,”Snell said. “Because Smith Creek is atributary to the Buffalo River, conser-vation practices at the property willalso help ensure the protection of thefirst national river in the U.S.”

When asked what prompted them towork with The Nature Conservancy,Marty said, “We’ve known of TheNature Conservancy for years, andwe just know they are a greatorganization. And we know about theConservancy’s projects and programsin Arkansas, and it gave us comfortknowing an organization of this scaleand strength would be managing it.”

Simon said the property willmost likely be available for hiking andother day-use recreational activitiesthat do not conflict with conservationand forestry plans that are developed.

The Nature Conservancy is a private,international, non-profit organizationestablished in 1951 to preserve theplants, animals and natural communi-ties that represent the diversity of lifeon Earth by protecting the lands andwaters they need to survive. To date,the Conservancy and its more thanone million members have beenresponsible for the protection of morethan 14 million acres in the UnitedStates and have helped preserve 102million acres around the world.

Since 1982, the Conservancy’sArkansas program has helped protectmore than 262,000 acres of land

The Nature ConservancyThe Nature ConservancyThe Nature ConservancyThe Nature ConservancyThe Nature Conservancyacquires land to protect aacquires land to protect aacquires land to protect aacquires land to protect aacquires land to protect afederally endangered bat andfederally endangered bat andfederally endangered bat andfederally endangered bat andfederally endangered bat andOzark streamsOzark streamsOzark streamsOzark streamsOzark streams

BOXLEY, Ark. – In December, 2004,The Nature Conservancy purchasedfrom Marty and Elise Roenigk ofEureka Springs, Ark., a 1,225-acretract of land near the Buffalo NationalRiver that lies above a cave that servesas a hibernaculum for the largestcolony of Indiana bats – a federallyendangered species – in the state. TheRoenigks sold the ecologicallysignificant tract to the Conservancyfor $400,000, far below market value.

According to Tim Snell, Ozark Karstprogram director for The NatureConservancy in Arkansas, thepurchase of the Smith Creek tract andan easement on adjacent propertywhere the main entrance of SherfieldCave is located is significant because itwill immediately limit potentialdistractions to the Indiana bats duringtheir winter hibernation. If disturbedduring hibernation, he said, the batsare prone to expend precious energy,which can ultimately lead to theirdeath. Snell also said the purchase willconserve the surrounding forestnecessary for the bats’ foraging androosting needs, and it will help ensurethe water that flows through andseeps into Sherfield Cave is protected.

“Had we not acquired this land,” Snellsaid, “it probably would have beendeveloped and most likely subjectedto incompatible agriculture orforestry practices which would havenegatively affected the cave and thebats.”

According to Snell, a 1981 surveycalculated there were approximately5,000 Indiana bats at the cave.Researchers counted about 1,000


encourage others who own biologi-cally unique places to consider placingthem in long-term conservation,” saidDavis.

With Davis’ financial support, TheNature Conservancy plans to con-struct a gate across the entrance ofthe cave to give added protection tothe Gray bats. The Conservancy mayalso work with the Heritage Divisionof the Tennessee Department ofEnvironment and Conservation tohave the site designated a StateNatural Area.http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/tennessee/press/press1755.html

Development ApprovedDevelopment ApprovedDevelopment ApprovedDevelopment ApprovedDevelopment ApprovedOver Florida CaveOver Florida CaveOver Florida CaveOver Florida CaveOver Florida Cave

WCI Communities, Inc. (WCI) isplanning to construct an upscalesubdivision on 1,000 acres above acave system off U.S. 98 in Brooksville,Florida. This could include as many as1,700 villas or hotel rooms andsingle-family residences.

In January 2005 the County Commis-sioners voted to restrict this area tolimit the development to 660 hotelrooms. This was due to fears of apossible risk of the cave collapsing.However, the county commissionersreversed their previous vote whenWCI executives addressed the boardand assured them that their develop-ment plans would protect the caveand would also be good for thecounty. By a unanimous agreementthe board decided to allow WCI toproceed with its plan. The currentplan is to construct 660 hotel roomsand also 1,030 single-family homes.

The cave in question is described byUniversity of South Florida officials as“unique to Florida, the country andmaybe the world.” The cave has notyet been explored or mapped and itslength is still unknown. WCI plans tohire Lee Florea, a University of SouthFlorida Ph.D. candidate and also acave expert to coordinate the explora-

tion and study the cave as well as theland above it to ensure that it isprotected from development. Theunique feature of the cave is that itcontains mineral formations that hangfrom the ceilings and walls. This isunusual for Florida caves. Althoughthe development has been approved,WCI still has many hurdles beforethey can start construction. Anychanges to the county’s Comprehen-sive Plan must be approved by theFlorida Department of CommunityAffairs. This will ensure that thecounty will be able to provide servicesfor roads and utilities and that thesechanges would correspond with theCounty’s development plans. Thedevelopment will also be closelyreviewed because it surpassesFlorida’s 1,000 unit threshold. WCIwill be required to provide areas forpark and school space as well asadditional information on the devel-opment itself. All of this means moretime for exploration and mapping ofthe cave. When this process has beencompleted, WCI Vice President JimStachkpoole has stated that he plansto give protected land that lies overthe cave to the county for public useand study.Feb.15,2005, www.hernandotoday.com

Kauai Cave Species DraftKauai Cave Species DraftKauai Cave Species DraftKauai Cave Species DraftKauai Cave Species DraftRecovery Plan ReleasedRecovery Plan ReleasedRecovery Plan ReleasedRecovery Plan ReleasedRecovery Plan Releasedfor Public Reviewfor Public Reviewfor Public Reviewfor Public Reviewfor Public Review

A draft recovery plan outlining therecovery strategies for the Kauai cavewolf spider and Kauai cave amphipodwas released for public comment onFebruary 9th by the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service. The two species areknown to exist only in the lava tubesand cave-bearing rock in Kauai’sKoloa Basin.

“This plan will lead the cooperativeefforts of the Service, the State ofHawaii, and many other partners asthey work to recover these two rarespecies,” said Dave Allen, Pacificregional director for the Fish andWildlife Service. “With the knownpopulation of the Kauai cave spider -

perhaps fewer than 30 individuals -all in a single cave, we need to takeaction quickly to ensure that the onlyeyeless wolf spider in the worldcontinues to survive.”

Six broad recovery tasks are dis-cussed in the draft plan: protectingknown cave systems where the Kauaicave wolf spider and amphipod exist;protecting currently and recentlyoccupied habitats; conductingresearch to gain additional knowl-edge of the species and their conser-vation needs; enhancing publicknowledge of and support forprotecting these species; validatingrecovery objectives; and developing apost-delisting monitoring plan.

The first priorities identified in theplan are to protect the cave systemswhere these species still exist fromhuman-caused destruction ordegradation and to improve theirexisting habitat. The cave amphipod isregularly found in three caves,including one where the cave wolfspider is found.

To protect the cave systems, the draftrecovery plan recommends control-ling human entry, preventing thedestruction of native plant communi-ties above the cave systems, develop-ing and implementing a fire controlplan for surface habitats, preventingintroduction of and controllingcurrently present nonnative predatorsand competitors, preventing theintroduction of bio-control organ-isms or bio-pesticides, and preventingcontamination by pollutants such asinsecticides and herbicides.

To enhance their habitats, the draftplan recommends managing thehabitat above the caves to encouragethe growth of appropriate plantswhose roots provide food and debrisfor the cave amphipod, and toincrease the relative humidity incaves. These cave-dwelling species(known as troglobites) appear torequire high humidity, perhaps asmuch as 100% humidity.


These two species were first discov-ered in 1971 and much about theirconservation needs remains un-known. Research recommendedwithin the draft plan includes studies:· to determine local populations sizesand/or movement;· to determine the most beneficialplants to be used for habitat improve-ment;· to develop noninvasive ways todetermine the status of populations;· to learn more about regulating thehumidity of caves and its effect onthese species and nonnative ones;· to look for additional occupied cavesor restorable cave systems;· to continue monitoring activities;and· to determine the feasibility ofmoving wolf spiders into unoccupiedcave systems.Public education activities areencouraged to broaden knowledge ofthe Kauai cave species in the Koloaand Poipu area, and to engenderpublic support for these uniquecreatures. Providing technicalexpertise and/or funding to imple-ment land uses friendly to thesespecies also is encouraged.

The Kauai cave wolf spider is a mid-size (0.50 to 0.75-inch) huntingspider that has completely lost its eyesas part of its adaptation to life in lavatubes. Instead of building webs, itchases and grabs its prey or may usesit-and wait ambush tactics. Unlikemost wolf spiders that produce 100 to300 spiderlings per clutch, the Kauaicave wolf spider is believed toproduce fewer than 30 spiderlings perclutch. Newly hatched spiderlings areunusually large and are carried on theback of the female for only a fewdays.

The Kauai cave amphipod is a small(0.25 to 0.4-inch) pale landhopperthat resembles a shrimp. Like the cavewolf spider, the Kauai cave amphipodhas lost its eyes. It feeds on thedecaying roots of surface vegetationthat reach into the cave system, aswell as rotting sticks, branches, and

other plant materials. This amphipodis believed to be a food source for theKauai cave wolf spider.

The Kauai cave wolf spider and caveamphipod were listed as endangeredon January 14, 2000. On June 2,2000, the U.S. District Court orderedthe Fish and Wildlife Service todesignate critical habitat for thesespecies. This was designated on April9, 2003, in the Federal Register.

The availability of the draft recoveryplan for a 60-day public commentperiod was announced in the FederalRegister on February 9. Copies of thedraft recovery plan are availablethrough the Fish and Wildlife Service’swebsite at http://pacificislands.fws.gov or by calling theFish and Wildlife Service’s Honoluluoffice at 808 792 9400. Writtencomments may be submitted to theField Supervisor, Pacific Islands Fishand Wildlife Office, 300 Ala MoanaBlvd., Room 3-122, Box 50088,Honolulu, HI 96850.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service isthe principal Federal agency respon-sible for conserving, protecting, andenhancing fish, wildlife and plants andtheir habitats for the continuingbenefit of the American people. TheService manages the 95-million-acreNational Wildlife Refuge System,which encompasses 545 nationalwildlife refuges, thousands of smallwetlands and other special manage-ment areas. It also operates 69national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish andWildlife Management offices and 81ecological services field stations. Theagency enforces federal wildlife laws,administers the Endangered SpeciesAct, manages migratory bird popula-tions, restores nationally significantfisheries, conserves and restoreswildlife habitat such as wetlands, andhelps foreign governments with theirconservation efforts. It also overseesthe Federal Assistance program,which distributes hundreds of millionsof dollars in excise taxes on fishingand hunting equipment to state fish

and wildlife agencies.http://news.fws.gov/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=F8435BBB-1143-3066-4068CFD268022CDA

Exploration Pushes Wind CaveExploration Pushes Wind CaveExploration Pushes Wind CaveExploration Pushes Wind CaveExploration Pushes Wind Caveto 5th Longest in the Wto 5th Longest in the Wto 5th Longest in the Wto 5th Longest in the Wto 5th Longest in the Worldorldorldorldorld

Wind Cave became the fifth-longestcave in the world after explorersmapped 2,715 feet of passages onSaturday, January 8. The official lengthof the cave is now 114 miles long.Members of the Colorado and PahaSapa Grottos joined National ParkService employees in sending fiveteams of surveyors in to map andexplore what many claim to be themost complex three-dimensionalmaze cave in the world.

Physical Science Specialist RodHorrocks said, “This also makes us thethird-longest cave in the country,behind Mammoth Cave in Kentuckyand Jewel Cave near Custer. Thisachievement is the culmination ofdecades of efforts by numerouscavers.”

Exploration efforts at Wind Cavebegan in the early 1880s and by 1893it is believed 6 to 8 miles of passageshad been discovered, many byteenager Alvin McDonald. Modernexploration began in the late 1950swith cavers from Colorado taking upwhere McDonald left off. Wind Cavewas thought to be a small cave untilChicago caver, and now Hot Springsresident, John Scheltens lead fourconsecutive summer expeditions inthe early 1970s that expanded thenumber of known unexplored holesin the cave from the hundreds into thethousands.

Horrocks added, “Since 1991, wehave hosted monthly exploration tripsby members of local caving clubs.With numerous caves in Coloradoclosed due to snow this time of year,many of our explorers drive up fromthe Denver area for a weekend ofcaving. Over the years, these cavershave helped the park inventory


features, correct surveying errors, andcollect data such as water samples.”

To learn more about exploration atWind Cave, visit the park’s website atwww.nps.gov/wica/Home.htm.Ranger lead tours of Wind Cave areoffered year-around. Currently, toursare offered in the Garden of Edenarea of the cave at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and3 p.m.http://www.nps.gov/wica/pphtml/newsdetail15897.html

TTTTTown Seeking Prown Seeking Prown Seeking Prown Seeking Prown Seeking Protection forotection forotection forotection forotection forMan-made CaveMan-made CaveMan-made CaveMan-made CaveMan-made Cave

To some it may be an ancient site, toothers simply a root cellar. Regardlessof the origin, the officials in the townof Upton, Massachusetts are trying toprotect a man-made cave frompossible future development. Thecave is currently owned by GeraldCuccione who purchased the 7.5-acre property that contains the cave inJune 2004. Discussions are underwaywith Cuccione either to donate thecave to the town or to negotiate apurchase price.

The origins of the cave have been amatter of debate for years. Someeven believe that it may be more than1,000 years old and liken it toStonehenge. James Mavor, a retiredoceanographic engineer studied thecave from 1980 to 1985 along withByron Dix, who was a specialist in theastronomy of ancient cultures. Mavorand Dix, have suggested that twonearby stone cairns were created atthe same time as the chamber—around 700 to 750 AD. He continuesto believe that the cave is ancient andthat the stone chamber could possiblyhave been used as an astronomicalsite or an observatory constructed byNative Americans, Irish monks orEuropeans.The Massachusetts Historical Com-mission feels that it deserves furtherstudy. Commission spokesman BrianMcNiff said, “It’s believed to be

Colonial and not prior to Europeansettlement.” Curtis Runnels, BostonUniversity archaeology professoragrees saying that it is “just wishfulthinking and fantasy” to believe thatthe structure predates Colonial times.Runnels also adds that archaeologistsdo not believe that Europeans were inMassachusetts before 1500.

Despite the debate, Upton HistoricalCommission member Cathy Taylorremains inspired to work on preserv-ing the chamber and says, “To have asite right here in Upton that alsoseems mysteriously old and [astro-nomically] aligned is exciting.”http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/02/27/town_seeking_protection_for_manmade_cave/

Florida Residents EvacuatedFlorida Residents EvacuatedFlorida Residents EvacuatedFlorida Residents EvacuatedFlorida Residents EvacuatedAfter TAfter TAfter TAfter TAfter Testing Finds 80-Footesting Finds 80-Footesting Finds 80-Footesting Finds 80-Footesting Finds 80-FootCavern BelowCavern BelowCavern BelowCavern BelowCavern Below

Residents of the Shady Oaks MobileHome Park in Columbia County,Florida were evacuated from theirhomes on March 18, 2005 wheninitial testing proved that an 80-footcavern lay below the park and that theground had become unstable. Thisdistrict in the county had six sinkholeincidents in less than a month prior tothe evacuation. County Commis-sioner George Skinner was not takingany chances stating, “We felt like withthe data we had, we should evacuatethe people in the mobile home park.”He also added that they could notpredict what could happen and couldnot rule out a possible collapse of themobile home park. Skinner added,“It is a serious problem, all we can donow is ensure the public’s safety.”

Some wells in the area also testedpositive for E.coli and Health Depart-ment officials issued a boil-waternotice within a one-mile radius of thearea. Nearby Pinemount Road wasclosed indefinitely when a growingsinkhole opened just 70 feet from the

road. Cal-Tech engineer JohnDorman lowered a camera into thecavern beneath the mobile home parkwhile the Florida Rural WaterAssociation conducted tests withground penetrating radar and sonarin the area.

Possible heavy rains were the cause ofthe sinkhole collapses in the countyand the official count now stands at10. Despite all of the tests, localofficials still do not have definitivereasons for the sinkhole development.Harvey Campbell, public informationofficer for Columbia County Emer-gency Management said, “We don’thave any expert, outside evaluationand forecast of what to expect at thispoint.” The state Department ofEnvironmental Protection is expectedto study the sinkholes and provideinput. Meanwhile, some smaller holeshave been filled in and others con-tinue to be monitored.http://www.lakecityreporter.com/articles/2005/03/20/news/top_story/news01.txt; http://www.lakecityreporter.com/articles/2005/03/22/news/top_story/news01.txt; http://www.lakecityreporter.com/articles/2005/03/31/news/top_story/news01.txt


On Monday, March 28th, Virginia GovernorMark Warner signed bill H.B 2579 designatingthe Big Eared Bat, Coryhorhinus townsendiivirginianus as the official state bat of theCommonwealth.

The bill was sponsored by Del. Jackie Stumpand was originally requested by the VirginiaCave Board to help educate the general publicabout the benefits of bats. The Virginia CaveBoard was formed in 1979 and promotes the protection ofcave resources.

The Virginia Big Eared Bat was added to the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service list of federally endangered species onNovember 30, 1979 and is only found in caves in Virginia,West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina.

Bat populations have decreased because of the use ofpesticides, habitat loss and human disturbance. In Virginia,big-eared bats inhabit only 5 caves. Their diet consistsmainly of small moths and insects. In general, bats offer anamazing natural way to control pests—one bat canconsume 600 mosquitoes per hour. Del. Stump noted thatthis is especially important since West Nile virus has beendiscovered in areas of the United States.

Jam

es K

iser

Coryhorhinus townsendii virginianus, Virginia Big-Eared Bat in a Jackson County,Virginia cave.

Virginia’s

For more information about the Big-Eared Bat:

Bat Conservation International: www.batcon.org

West Virginia Dept. of Natural Resources:www.wdnr.gov

Virginia’s big-eared bats reside year-round in caves. Theyare extremely sensitive during hibernation. Each time a batis disturbed, its body uses more of the fat that it has storedto help it survive the winter. Bats can actually starve todeath if they are disturbed too often during hibernation.Maternity colonies are also very sensitive. A female big-eared bat has only one pup per year. If the colony be-comes frightened, baby bats may be abandoned or fall tothe floor where they become prey to other cave animals.

In order to protect the bats, cave gates have been con-structed and educational signs posted at critical sites.Some caves are even closed when the bats are using thecave.

Judging from the press that has been generated on theradio, in newspapers and on the Internet regarding thebig-eared bat, it looks as though the Cave Board hasaccomplished their objective. Joey Fagan, of the VirginiaDepartment of Conservation and Recreation stated in anarticle in the Roanoke Times, “I think as a symbol it gives agood indication the commonwealth values these re-sources. One of the big things it will do is help peoplerealize these are useful animals and not something weneed to be afraid of.”

Official State Bat

Hibernating Virginia big-eared bats.

Cra

ig W

. Stih

ler,

W V

Div.

Nat

. Res

ourc

es

by D.L. Silverman


Contributors 2005

$100 - $499:$100 - $499:$100 - $499:$100 - $499:$100 - $499:Desoto Caverns ParkMrs. Nellie B. MossDr. John P. “Jack” FreemanMr. & Mrs. Myron C. DunlavyCharles Bartlett, Ph.DRichard D. BellDr. & Mrs. Stanly D. SidesJim AdamsMark HultDr. Francis G. HowarthJohn & Joan StricklerGinger SchnaperDoug GilbHowe CavernsFlittermouse GrottoNational Cave AssociationBernard W. SzukalskiJames & Barbara SturgeonSeneca CavernsRoy D. and Carole PowersThe Cleveland GrottoRobert D. BrownFrank & Anita VlchekKaren Willmes

$500 - $999:$500 - $999:$500 - $999:$500 - $999:$500 - $999:Mr. Fred GradyHorse Cave Rotary Club

$1,000 - $4,999:$1,000 - $4,999:$1,000 - $4,999:$1,000 - $4,999:$1,000 - $4,999:Ronald R. Van Stockum, Jr.Stephen SullivanDavid & Ann DerrickChuck Pease, Jr.Bluespring CavernsBruce Herschend TrustSandra Anne FrazierThe Corradino GroupEarl BiffleAnonymous

$5,000 - $9,999$5,000 - $9,999$5,000 - $9,999$5,000 - $9,999$5,000 - $9,999Anonymous GiftEstate of Raymond deSaussureMr. W. Austin W. Mussellman, Jr.Charles Pease, Jr.

$10,000 or more:$10,000 or more:$10,000 or more:$10,000 or more:$10,000 or more:Mr. and Mrs. Allen M. Bond, IIIBrown-Forman CorporationCharles Stewart MottFoundationCity of Horse CaveMr. and Mrs. Robert E. DanielsonThe Dart FoundationEnvironmental Protection AgencyKentucky Division ofConservationKentucky Division of WaterTransportation Enhancement Prog.USVA HUD Program

Museum FoundersMuseum FoundersMuseum FoundersMuseum FoundersMuseum FoundersJames Graham Brown Foundation, Inc.Mary & Barry Bingham, Sr. FundW.L. Lyons Brown FoundationCity of Horse Cave, KentuckyCommonwealth of KentuckyKentucky Bicentennial Commission

In Memory ofIn Memory ofIn Memory ofIn Memory ofIn Memory ofDavid KirkpatrickDavid KirkpatrickDavid KirkpatrickDavid KirkpatrickDavid KirkpatrickDonna Kirkpatrick

In Memory ofIn Memory ofIn Memory ofIn Memory ofIn Memory ofJonathan MelaJonathan MelaJonathan MelaJonathan MelaJonathan MelaJeffrey & Jane LanhamRobert V. Pollard, IIIJ.W. KellySherwin GhapheryJoseph M. KraftDouglas WallaceTony & Patrice TigheKenneth & Cristeena NaserRobert & Julie LandoMr. & Mrs. Melvin BergheimJimmy, Page, Elias GhapheryKathryn HemphillHerbert & Alice Quint

Jonathan L. MelaJonathan L. MelaJonathan L. MelaJonathan L. MelaJonathan L. Mela

ACCA member and supporter, Jonathan L. Mela, passed away Wednesday, January 12, 2005, at home. A native ofAlexandria (VA), Jonathan had been a Richmond resident over 20 years. He was a professional trumpet player andgraphic artist, avid traveler and outdoorsman, and devoted to wildlife conservation. He especially loved skiing andcaving. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Ann Moon; his parents, Don and Doris Mela; his sister, Yonie Dow; hisbrothers, Samuel and David Mela. His family requested that memorial contributions be made to the American CaveConservation Association.


American Cave Conservation AssociationP.O. Box 409Horse Cave, Kentucky 42749

Change Service Requested

BULK RATEU.S. Postage

PAIDHorse Cave, KY

42749Permit No. 61

Bob & Bob“Cavers Serving Cavers Worldwide”

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