UKC Conservation Rewards
There has been plenty of discussion on UKcaving about cave conservation over the years. Should we restrict access, tape formations, educate, rely on conservation guides and work to conservation plans? All have an impact and can work to a greater or lesser extent.
However, one conservation measure that always improves our caves is cleaning up rubbish and mess. This includes anything from a dropped chocolate wrapper, an unstuck oversuit patch, discarded clothing (I uncovered a pair of underpants wrapped up in a plastic bag recently) to abandoned digging equipment. All of it is, as they say'better out than in'.
Many clean ups have taken place in the past, some are on going, however there is always more to remove. Inspired by our own recent clean ups in Notts 2 and Rift Pot and by the efforts of the Buttered Badgers in the Peak District, UKcaving would like to encourage the removal of all rubbish from our caves. In doing so we hope to educate all cavers and diggers to think about their actions. As well as taking digging gear into a cave do we have a plan to bring it out again? Will we pick up that chocolate wrapper even though it isn?t ours? Let?s try and always answer ?yes? to these questions.
The Badgers came up with the idea of UKC offering rewards for rubbish removed. Between us we have attracted a number of partners and already can offer over a ?1000 worth of gifts as recognition for cleaning up our caves. Publish your efforts on UKC and as well as being eligible for a reward you will encourage others to do the same.
We hope to role this out by region. So far we have support in the Dales, the Peak District and Mendip and we are hoping all the regions will get involved. Therefore any individual or group from other areas who can organise local sponsors and adjudicate on the awards are encouraged to get in touch. More details to come later in the month.
Our conservation motto is: If in doubt ? bring it out
There has been plenty of discussion on UKcaving about cave conservation over the years. Should we restrict access, tape formations, educate, rely on conservation guides and work to conservation plans? All have an impact and can work to a greater or lesser extent.
However, one conservation measure that always improves our caves is cleaning up rubbish and mess. This includes anything from a dropped chocolate wrapper, an unstuck oversuit patch, discarded clothing (I uncovered a pair of underpants wrapped up in a plastic bag recently) to abandoned digging equipment. All of it is, as they say'better out than in'.
Many clean ups have taken place in the past, some are on going, however there is always more to remove. Inspired by our own recent clean ups in Notts 2 and Rift Pot and by the efforts of the Buttered Badgers in the Peak District, UKcaving would like to encourage the removal of all rubbish from our caves. In doing so we hope to educate all cavers and diggers to think about their actions. As well as taking digging gear into a cave do we have a plan to bring it out again? Will we pick up that chocolate wrapper even though it isn?t ours? Let?s try and always answer ?yes? to these questions.
The Badgers came up with the idea of UKC offering rewards for rubbish removed. Between us we have attracted a number of partners and already can offer over a ?1000 worth of gifts as recognition for cleaning up our caves. Publish your efforts on UKC and as well as being eligible for a reward you will encourage others to do the same.
We hope to role this out by region. So far we have support in the Dales, the Peak District and Mendip and we are hoping all the regions will get involved. Therefore any individual or group from other areas who can organise local sponsors and adjudicate on the awards are encouraged to get in touch. More details to come later in the month.
Our conservation motto is: If in doubt ? bring it out