Caving's impact on the public
Posted: Mar 29, 2014 1:01 pmThere is an interesting article in the Spring 2014 issue of PRESERVATION titled "Virginia Underground" which posits that the Shenandoah Valley's historic (commercial) caves helped create modern-day American leisure travel. While the article drifts off into a modern-day travel story, the idea that the impact of cave visits in the 1930s is reflected in today's travel industry is interesting. Also makes one wonder what the impact of today's commercial cave trips is on visitors' impressions of the environment, water quality, natural preservation, etc. There is a real educational opportunity for commercial cave guides who reach more non-cavers in a month than NSS members do in years. Less emphasis on "the statue of liberty" or "giant's beard" and more on the reality of the cave ecosystem could have a similar long-term impact on society. IMHO. 