The Cave Club began using GIS in 2009. GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, allowed the club to organize and map their data into computerized layers. ESRI, the developers of the program, provides the software free to public schools throughout the nation. They took a special interest in the Cave Club and helped them create innovative ways to record, display and analyze their data.
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GIS Specialist working with Cave Club member on a webapplication.
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The cave club has worked on conservation projects in 8 caves beneath Bureau of Land Management properties. Two of these caves are gated and have been closed to the public for over ten years because they contain extremely beautiful, yet fragile mineral deposits. Three others provide important habitat for bats. In omer cave, in addition to establishing monitoring , the club also organized a major cleanup and restoration peoject. The cave club’s work will help the BLM develop a plan to allow the public enjoy these caves and conserve mineral deposits and bat use.
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Cave club members inventory mineral
deposits in a cave that has been closed to the public for 10 years |