Iowa Grotto, Iowa’s chapter of the National Speleological Society, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration, conservation, and restoration of Iowa’s caves. The group receives special training to ensure the safety of the volunteers and for the protection of the caves and the nature connected to them.
On September 27th and 28th, a group of six volunteers spent 6.5 hours cleaning up trash, graffiti and the remnants of fire in one of the caves in the Decorah area. Additional restoration work was completed on October 8. We appreciate their hard work and dedication to restore this natural resource, which is a unique feature to the karst topography and provides habitat to insects, bats and other creatures.
Iowa Grotto Chair (Cheryl Johnson) provided the following information:
“During our cleaning efforts, we observed two Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) roosting in the cave. This is particularly important because Tricolored bat populations have declined by as much as 90% in recent years due to White-Nose Syndrome, a deadly fungal disease, and habitat loss. Maintaining a livable habitat is crucial for healthy bat populations.”
