Caver Introduces Students To Joys Of Natural World

By Larissa Lytwyn

Aaron Cox, a Newtown resident and naturalist, brought his passion for rock climbing and caving to Newtown Middle School students recently through a visit to technology teacher Don Ramsey’s seventh and eighth grade classes.

Mr Cox, a member of the National Speleological Society, is dedicated to the exploration and preservation of caves as essential natural resources. A key part of caving involves educating the public about the way caves form and their geological significance, said Mr Cox.

Flashing a smile at Mr Ramsey, Mr Cox asked students how caves form and was impressed at how knowledgeable they were.

“You understand,” he said, “that caves are any natural opening in the environment. They can be as small as a garbage can or bigger than a typically sized classroom!”

Mr Cox then described how caves form from limestone.

Limestone is a carbon-based rock that produces a weak acid when met with water from, for example, a rainfall. The water seeps into tiny pores and cracks in the limestone layer, slowly dissolving it. As time goes on, the pockets and cracks enlarge to form small chambers in the rock.

No one is able to predict how long it takes a cave to form. The rate of growth depends on the geological layout of the area.

All water that enters a cave must eventually leave the cave at some point due to the underlying geology of the earth. These areas are called springs or resurgences. The areas where the water enters the cave are called insurgences.

Caves are nonrenewable resources that are very sensitive to human impact, providing habitats for a number of unique endangered species that are specially adapted to the dark environment of a cave. Simply stepping in the wrong place can leave a footprint that will not fade for thousands of years.

Biologists divide cave-dwelling animals into three groups: troglobites, which are restricted to caves; troglophiles, who live in caves and on the surface; and trogloxenes, who regularly visit caves but can not complete their life cycles in subterranean environments.

Troglobites, including isopods and certain kinds of insects, are very specialized animals adapted to live in just one cave or a group of caves. Their adaptations may include no eyes or pigment, elongated appendages and enhanced tactile senses. These animals are very sensitive to change and disturbance. Caver visitors can trample troglobites or their food supply. Water pollution and surface developments may also poison cave environments.

Bats are trogloxenes, but they, too, are very sensitive to disturbance. They evolved to live in caves in complete darkness and silence. Unwitting cave visitors bring lights and make noises terrifying colonies of bats. Today a significant percentage of animals on the endangered species list are cave-dwelling bats and invertebrates. The main source of all cave development is water. Some shelter caves may be developed by wind, but Mr Cox talked only about caves that are developed in the limestone layers of the earth.

After teaching students about the importance of caves in ecology and their vital need for preservation, Mr Cox displayed his various caving equipment, including a headlamp, which is a helmet affixed with a light, a nylon suit that keeps the wearer warm and dry, and various cords, ropes, and harnesses used for climbing.

While all caves are stereotyped as cool, Mr Cox said that the temperature of a cave is actually the mean temperature of the surrounding area at any given time. “So, while a cave in Connecticut may be around 30 degrees right now, a cave in Hawaii may be as warm as 70 degrees,” he explained.

Mr Cox also touched on the various styles of knotting used in climbing, including the butterfly knot, which helps keep a rope taut when moving vertically.

Many of the students were familiar with the introduction to climbing harnesses and knot styles through their involvement in Project Adventure, a required enrichment course for students that aims to build leadership and team building skills through such activities as simulated rock climbing activities.

Mr Cox encouraged students to become more involved with caving through a variety of organizations, from the area chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club to the youth-oriented Outward Bound program.

“There are a lot of opportunities to learn more about cave exploration and preservation, which you can do together with your friends or your family,” said Mr Cox.

After one presentation, eighth grader Kyle Markham said Mr Cox’s words had inspired him.

“I knew what caving was, but I didn’t know everything about it,” he said. “Mr Cox was a really good speaker.”

Mr Ramsey agreed, praising Mr Cox on his ability to “connect well” with students.

As a member of the National Speleological Society, Mr Cox has traveled to area schools to speak with them about caving. “A lot of people don’t know a whole lot about caves, or caving,” he said.

Mr Cox discovered the world of cave exploration quite serendipitously.

“I discovered an old headlamp from a mining cave in my grandparents’ attic,” he said, laughing. “It just went from there!”

For more information on caving, visit the National Speleological Society at www.caves.org.