Club Conservation

Does your club proactively engage in conservation works?

  • Nope

    Votes: 5 13.5%
  • Don't know - not to my knowledge, if they do

    Votes: 5 13.5%
  • Yes, it has a poster on the noticeboard in the club hut

    Votes: 3 8.1%
  • Yes, it was a topic one year at one of the social events

    Votes: 1 2.7%
  • Yes, it organises regular clean ups/litter picking, cleaning stal

    Votes: 14 37.8%
  • Yes, mostly just education though, you know... talking about it being important n stuff.

    Votes: 9 24.3%

  • Total voters
    37

cap n chris

Well-known member
Conservation - all talk, no do?

Does it even get talked about?

Is it a tumbleweed topic in your club?

Or does your club regularly/routinely do sterling work, involving the membership, in acts of maintenance, clearing, cleaning, tidying, etc.?

We need to know, otherwise how can any gaps be filled?
 

cap n chris

Well-known member
Them is we. Sometimes referred to as they. In this instance, they, them and we are probably collectively better expressed as "this forum and its readership".

 

Leclused

Active member
Guess what I've voted  ;)

And now at  8 o'clock sunday  morning direction Ardennes for some maintance work in one of our discoveries😄
 

cap n chris

Well-known member
Ah, but your club (and you!) is exceptional. Did some online checking and found that 90+% of CSCC region caving clubs don't mention conservation in their websites or if they do it's hidden away somewhere and takes perseverance to find. Certainly I've yet to join a club - and I've been in many over the years - which has any conservation induction, publicity or flyer in its welcome pack, if it even has a welcome pack. Not entirely convinced clubs have raised their game. Probably because for the majority of them they haven't. There appears to be room for improvement. Plenty of room.
 

al

Member
Here in the Peak, most of the clubs I know of are quite active when it comes to conservation work, and have been over many years. Orpheus, Crewe, TSG, Eldon, Badgers etc etc ... loads of good exemplary work going on.

Not sure why you've singled out clubs - I've seen some quite shocking examples of professionally led groups, but I wouldn't generalise.

What's more, many people go caving independently of clubs and, looking at the recent redrafts of the caving code, I'm not convinced how you would get the message across to people who are outside the loop.
 

Peter Burgess

New member
Maybe it's just second nature to some clubs and it doesn't need mentioning. Just like we don't have a prominent club directive to keep our cottage clean and tidy or to flush the toilet after use.
 

droid

Active member
Peter has nailed it.

People caving with a club are 'educated' whilst caving, either specifically or by example. In my experience at least....
 

cap n chris

Well-known member
al said:
Not sure why you've singled out clubs

Because BCA is drafting new conservation codes which it will be sending out to clubs and the obvious question is "will clubs forward the codes to their members?". i.e. will the leaflets be effective in their goal?
 
Without wanting to decry the effort made in preparing and distributing a new conservation code...being pro-actively involved in conservation projects and passing on a leaflet (which presumably states thing most people already know) are two VERY different things...
 

cap n chris

Well-known member
Tangible physical actions aren't as necessary if pro-active education is effective.

Hopefully the BCA codes/leaflets will be promoted by all clubs (i.e. their committees being pro-active) and the resulting improvement in general caving considerateness will mean fewer clearing and cleaning works end up being necessary, because everyone will manage and maintain caves more conscientiously than before.

Cannot resist adding that if the Codes state things most people already know then they will not be the cause for any negative feedback or surprises.

Also cannot resist pointing out the obvious logical flaw: how do new members magically know the contents of the conservation codes that they've never been provided with and hence have not had the opportunity to read?
 

Peter Burgess

New member
Generally speaking, we don't "hand out" anything. If a link to a PDF is promoted, we will happily notify members electronically, and keep a link on our website/facebook page etc so it is permanently viewable, and not lost after a week or so in pile of papers.
 

cap n chris

Well-known member
:-[  :spank:

Whooops! - and hearty apologies for unwittingly maligning one of my clubs (UBSS) who do indeed provide conservation induction to leaders so they can make a good case to their charges for looking after caves - not dissimilar to the LCLA scheme.

I stand corrected and unreservedly blush at this oversight, entirely of mine own!

Thumbs up for conservation induction for club leaders, say I.  (y)

:)

Proves I'm human.
 

cap n chris

Well-known member
trth.gif
 

droid

Active member
There's nothing wrong wiith reminding people of the importance and methods of cave (and mine) conservation.

If the BCA deem it a good idea to distribute leaflets, go ahead.
 
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