Cave Preservation and Restoration for the Next Generation
The delicate beauty of the cave is a very fragile one, taking millions of years to create, one drop at a time, slowly building the beautiful formations that fill the Cave of the Winds’ many rooms. It is important that we, as the guardians of this treasure, are careful to preserve this Colorado Cave for the generations to follow. Visiting the Cave of the Winds and other caves throughout the world, visitors must strive to appreciate the beauty and splendor without destroying it. In short, take nothing but cave pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.
Because we at Cave of the Winds believe so strongly in cave preservation, we have formed, over the years, 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 staying on the trail.
Restoration projects are undertaken with detailed care. We can clean and repair broken speleothems, and generally come close to making caves look undisturbed. But ultimately, a cave is a resource that required thousands—even millions—of years to form and is non-renewable. That’s why damage to caves needs to be avoided. 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.
Cave of the Winds offers public tours in which cave preservation information and conservation are always a priority.
Cave Spelunking Tours & Tips
National Speleological Society
National Caves Association
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