White Nose Syndrome....

[+geoaware]

The following has been sent out to all owners of active EarthCaches featuring caves in the United States....

 

Please note that there are several regional cave closures and related regulations on cave entry for much of the eastern United States.

 

As we at the Geological Society of America are committed fostering and maintaining a positive stewardship of the Earth, we ask that you keep abreast of these restrictions, and post a notice of any pertinent information directly to your EarthCache listing.

 

If the land where your EarthCache is located has issued a cave closure, PLEASE HAVE YOUR CACHE TEMPORARILY DISABLED.

Failure to do so may result in your cache being archived if the land manager or agency personnel voices concern.

 

Resources and information can be found at the National Speleological Society’s White Nose Syndrome page:

http://www.caves.org/WNS/

 

Additional info from the US Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service can be found here:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/

http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html

 

Thank you.

 

Geoaware

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Thanks for the heads up.

I have one shelter EC in Virginia and I am sure no bats inhabit it. I am going to a naturalist rally in Konnarock Virginia this weekend and there will be a lot of people from National Forests, State parks and State Universities there so I will see if I can find out more as to Virginia.

As I have read, the approach is strictly precautionary since it hasn't been determined exactly what the disease is and/or the mode of transmission. As they say, better safe than sorry!

I'll post any new info from that group. Dang it, bats are cute and they eat more than their fair share of those nasty ol skeeters!

P.S. I wonder what some of those large commercial establishments like nearby Mammoth Cave in Kentucky are going to do?

[+joranda]

I got the email on this, luckly mine is just a rock shelter so it is safe.

[Neos2]

Oh, I have one at a man man tunnel that is home to bats and in a state parks. Indiana is closing all caves, sinkholes, tunnels and abandoned mines to foot traffic. I'll put the note on my EarthCache right now!

 

Bat Disease article from the IDNR

 

Press release by DNR

[Neos2]

I got the email on this, luckly mine is just a rock shelter so it is safe.

What about your EarthCache at Mark Twain Cave? Isn't it closed? Or is my geography off? You can't go in that one anyway, can you? Surely that will still be OK!

 

I've emailed geoaware about my EarthCache, which is has a tunnel with bats in it--you don't have to go into the tunnel to do the cache...but I'll do whatever the folks at the GSA suggest.

Edited May 9, 2009 by Neos2

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Thanks for the heads up.

I have one shelter EC in Virginia and I am sure no bats inhabit it. I am going to a naturalist rally in Konnarock Virginia this weekend and there will be a lot of people from National Forests, State parks and State Universities there so I will see if I can find out more as to Virginia.

As I have read, the approach is strictly precautionary since it hasn't been determined exactly what the disease is and/or the mode of transmission. As they say, better safe than sorry!

I'll post any new info from that group. Dang it, bats are cute and they eat more than their fair share of those nasty ol skeeters!

P.S. I wonder what some of those large commercial establishments like nearby Mammoth Cave in Kentucky are going to do?

 

Sorry folks. I just spent two days trekking through the mountains and listening to lectures by all sorts of naturalists and the white nose disease didn't come up and dang it, I forgot to bring it up. Two of those folks were geologists so look out for more ECs. I love geologists but they can wear you out!

P.S. None of the new ECs will be at caves!

[+wishing_on_a_star]

Yep, your geography is off like the coordinates on a Rino GPS in thick tree cover. Mark Twain cave is in Hannibal, Mo, about 60 plus miles north of St Louis. Mark Twain forest is several miles south west of St Louis. Its a good thing you dont have to go into Mark Twain cave to get credit for the EC... Protect those little furry bundles of teeth!

 

edit for spelling

 

I got the email on this, luckly mine is just a rock shelter so it is safe.

What about your EarthCache at Mark Twain Cave? Isn't it closed? Or is my geography off? You can't go in that one anyway, can you? Surely that will still be OK!

 

I've emailed geoaware about my EarthCache, which is has a tunnel with bats in it--you don't have to go into the tunnel to do the cache...but I'll do whatever the folks at the GSA suggest.

Edited May 10, 2009 by wishing_on_a_star

[+joranda]

I got the email on this, luckly mine is just a rock shelter so it is safe.

What about your EarthCache at Mark Twain Cave? Isn't it closed? Or is my geography off? You can't go in that one anyway, can you? Surely that will still be OK!

 

I've emailed geoaware about my EarthCache, which is has a tunnel with bats in it--you don't have to go into the tunnel to do the cache...but I'll do whatever the folks at the GSA suggest.

 

Mark Twain Cave is not in the Mark Twain National Forrest. A little more research would of told you that. That EarthCache doesn't require you to go inside of the cave. No bats where hurt in the submitting of the EarthCache.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

I just talked to a biologist with the state of Virginia and he said there is no proof of human to bat transmission of the disease............unless humans are kissing the bats.

[Wintertime]

I just talked to a biologist with the state of Virginia and he said there is no proof of human to bat transmission of the disease............unless humans are kissing the bats.

For the sake of science, I'm willing to experiment if someone will send Bruce Wayne my way.

 

Patty