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Nov. 2024 recap
I'm sure all who were there agree that the November Resto Weekend was quite memorable. It was nice to see some 'new faces,' who were warmly welcomed to the Resto family.
On the work side, the new 'furniture dolly' was moved into position in El Ghor. Rocks, wood and deflated kayaks were transported. The (new) large pile of 'blast rock' near the bottom of the elevator was reduced in half, thanks to diligent work by Jonathan Lewis, Danielle, Kyle, Dee and Chuck (and a couple others, I think) --please don't blame yours truly (the elevator operator), who was on duty when the finicky contraption decided to stop working. The Lint Crew gathered an amazing 10 lbs. on Saturday, plus another 3.5 lbs. on Sunday. (Your truly cleaned ALL the waypoint signs from Houchins to the Rotunda, down Grand Avenue and all the way to, and including Raffinesque Hall.) Back at The Ranch, special kudos to Dave Boerma for providing some tasty vittles for all to enjoy (and for himself manning the grill for those burgers w sharp cheddar cheese--awesome, Dave). And that's not mention Dee, Teresa and Jonathan--who baked a very tasty cinnamon bread--for rustling up breakfast fixins. You four are awesome, and we thank you! Thanks to all those (not previously mentioned) who contributed food for the Saturday 'pot luck,' such as all the goodies on the dessert table. It was a big success. Lastly, we recognize our peerless leader, Brian, who organized everything, who managed all the work tasks, and who gave an awesome, upbeat 'pep talk' as we gathered at the Pavilion on Saturday morning. Warmth and gratitude to you, Brian! For all those who couldn't make it (incl. esp. Rick Olson), you were very much missed. Hope to see everyone for the next Resto Weekend, which will be March 7-8-9, 2025. See you then! -Gary |
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Re: November Camp Update
Where exactly is that 'new bridge' being built? (Hard to tell from that photo.) On Monday, October 28, 2024 at 07:33:24 PM CDT, Brian Hunsaker <macarestocamp@...> wrote: Just a few short days away from the start of the much-anticipated November Resto Camp. I will just come out with it. The ferry is down. Will it be running by camp? I would not hold my breath, or yours. While we wait for the completion of the bridge, we will once again be driving around. ? Work options will include lint (Historic, others?), multiple concrete options, and a transformer relay race (just moving transformers but that sounded more fun). On Saturday after “regular” work everyone is invited to join me for an algae remediation run (except we must walk) from the New Entrance and out the Frozen Niagara Entrance. Saturday will conclude with a potluck dinner at Maple Springs (given the ferry being down and the algae run I am guessing between 6 PM – 7 PM start). Bring your favorite dish to share (or whatever you could get at DG Market on the way back to camp). ? Sunday we will again offer lint and concrete, maybe others, who knows? Looks like it is going to be great weather, cannot wait to see you all there. ? Brian |
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Re: Happy Birthday to Brian!
开云体育
Happy belated Birthday Brian.
Rick
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?Rickard S. Toomey III, Ph.D. (he, him)
? ? ? Cave Resource Management Specialist and Research Coordinator
? ? ? ? SR&M
? ? ? Mammoth Cave NP
? ? ? PO Box 7
? ? ? Mammoth Cave, KY 42259
? ? ? voice 270-758-2145
? ? ? email? rick_toomey@...
? ? ? Central Time Zone
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Gary Gibula via groups.io <garygibula@...>
Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2024 1:00 PM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: [EXTERNAL] [MACAresto] Happy Birthday to Brian! ?
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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!
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Re: Happy Birthday to Brian!
Happy birthday Brian!!!! @sophireaptress? Philadelphia Grotto Vice Chair? NSS #?70920 On Thu, Oct 10, 2024 at 2:00?PM Gary Gibula via <garygibula=[email protected]> wrote:
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Re: Happy Birthday to Brian!
Happy Birthday, Brian!! On Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:00?PM Gary Gibula via <garygibula=[email protected]> wrote:
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Re: Happy Birthday to Brian!
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Oct 10, 2024, at 1:04?PM, Joanna Harwood via groups.io <joanna_harwood@...> wrote:
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Re: Happy Birthday to Brian!
开云体育
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Gary Gibula via groups.io <garygibula@...>
Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2024 6:00:21 PM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: [EXTERNAL] [MACAresto] Happy Birthday to Brian! ?
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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!
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Signup for Nov. 2024 Resto weekend now OPEN
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. 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@.... |
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Fw: Nat'l media publishes article on unrealized effects of cave trash
----- 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 By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — 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 — 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 exotic mold and fungi. He and his team submitted a report to the park this week that details those resources and makes recommendations for how the park can manage them into the future. The balancing act for park managers at Carlsbad and elsewhere, Melnick said, is meeting the dual mandate of preserving and protecting landscapes while also making them accessible. “I don’t quite know how you would monitor it except to constantly remind people that the underground, the caves are a very, very sensitive natural environment,” he said. As many as 2,000 people cruise through the caverns a day during the busy season. Pleas to treat the caverns with respect are plastered on signs throughout the park, rangers give orientations to visitors before they go underground, and reminders of the do’s and don’ts are printed on the back of each ticket stub. But sometimes there is a disconnect between awareness and personal responsibility, said JD Tanner, director of education and training at Leave No Trace. Many people may be aware of the need to “keep it pristine,” but Tanner said the message doesn’t always translate into action or there is a lack of understanding that small actions — even leaving a piece of trash — can have irreversible damage in a fragile ecosystem. “If someone doesn’t feel a personal stake in the preservation of these environments, they may not take the rules seriously,” Tanner said. Diana Northup, a microbiologist who has spent years studying cave environments around the world, once crawled up the main corridor at Carlsbad Caverns to log everything that humans left behind. “So this is just one thing of very many,” she said of the Cheetos. (-end-) |
Gary Gibula
