Ecology

Ecology & Cave Preservation

The delicate beauty of caves is a very fragile one. Caves and cave formations take millions of years to create, so it’s important we act as the guardians of this treasure. We must be careful to preserve this natural wonder for generations to come. Visitors to Cave of the Winds and other caves throughout the world must strive to appreciate the beauty and splendor without destroying it. Remember: take nothing but cave pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.

Cave of the Winds believes so strongly in cave preservation that we have formed one of the strongest cave conservation and restoration groups in the nation. This work includes limiting damage to caves through education on proper cave techniques that limit impact. It also includes visitor control methods, such as visitation limits, and requiring visitors to stay on the trail. Restoration projects are undertaken with detailed care. We clean and repair broken speleothems and work to make the caves look undisturbed. Caves can be threatened by natural occurrences such as flooding, but a cave’s worst enemy is vandalism. Chipping a name into flowstone or breaking formations and removing them from the cave is damage that can never be corrected. Ultimately, caves are a non-renewable resource requiring millions of years to form. Cave of the Winds guided tours make cave preservation conservation a top priority.