Selling stal?

[bograt]

Thanks for that C.F., that whole area is subject to the Cave Conservation Plan, Who is doing the monitering?

 

[bograt]

Back OT: I agree with the earlier posts - selling stal creates a market, and a climate where this is seen as acceptable. Leave it in your spoil heap.

Or donate them to a museum (if they are worth it) or Uni research department, where students can experiment and learn to the benefit of all spelio's.

 

[shotlighter]

Back OT: I agree with the earlier posts - selling stal creates a market, and a climate where this is seen as acceptable. Leave it in your spoil heap.

Or donate them to a museum (if they are worth it) or Uni research department, where students can experiment and learn to the benefit of all spelio's.

Is the correct answer IMHO, consigning them to the spoil heap is sheer vandalism.

 

[martinm]

On a stal-related theme, I have just been up Block Hall and along Watt Passage into the White River series. First time for 3 or 4 years. On all my previous trips I noticed that the 2 little stal pillars 10/15m into the crawl were surviving against all the odds. You had to be careful as you crawled between them. They weren`t that pretty and they weren`t that big but they were there and deserved (and were apparently getting) a bit of care. But some careless bastard has smashed them.

Thanks for that C.F., that whole area is subject to the Cave Conservation Plan, Who is doing the monitering?

Normally, I'd say report this to the DCA Conservation Officer, but that's me and I can't get up there. (Too late now anyway, isn't it.  ) Contact Dave Webb ex Conservation Officer, he did the DVD on the series a few years ago. He will know who to contact. There was supposed to be a clean-up being done there, but a) don't know if it's been done and b) that wouldn't have prevented the vandalism. Very sad.

 

[Andy Farrant]

If anyone has a broken stal and can supply some context and ideally photographs (ie where from, what it overlies and where in the passage it came from) then don't throw it away or sell it, it may be suitable for U-Th dating. Clean stalagmites are ideal, but flowstone is OK. Straws, curtains and muddy or recrystallised stalagmites aren't much good.

If you do have some, you can send them to me (for contact details, send a PM). At least that way the material won't be lost, even if it can't be dated.
Andy