graveleye wrote:I'm going caving while at SERA if I have to dig my own.
me too!!
I will help dig....but then again, I think we could probably find some that already exist in AG (poor T, left out...but just for now, right?)
Besides, my caving gear has not been outside of TAG ever, and I have always cleaned it pretty much according to the current decontamination protocol anyway.
I am hoping that we can manage to avoid the moratorium in this area anyway. I know that TN is one of the fringe states, but I believe that it would be safe to cave in the ones that are open, if none of your caving equipment has ever been out of TAG, right?
I haven't kept up with every post on WNS, but I remember hearing that the fungus prefers the colder cave temps, and does not thrive in the more southern cave temps...or has that assumption changed? I believe that we ALL should take all precautions and be especially careful from now on...forever...now that this threat has been discovered, and the research should go on until it is either resolved for good, or we learn how to manage it...but just closing all caves, no matter what the status of bat populations (or lack thereof) is in the individual caves, just doesn't make much sense, never mind that enforcing it would be impossible (if it were possible, then we could do a much better job of preventing vandalism, now, couldn't we?) The bats that I have seen all look very healthy and happy...especially now that the water levels are up and the promise of tons of mosquitoes seems iminent....
Sorry for rambling....
I am looking forward to LOTS of caving at SERA...and partying and vendors and camaraderie, of course.