Rangers at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico recently had to deal with the aftermath of a tourist dropping a bag of Cheetos into a cavern—upending the cave's entire ecosystem.
Park officials posted a statement on Facebook last Friday explaining the unfortunate situation. “We at Carlsbad Caverns are so blessed to be able to host thousands of people in the cave every day,” the post read. “Casual impacts can be difficult or impossible to prevent. Like the simple fact that every step a person takes into the cave leaves a fine lint trail.”
But other impacts, such as a visitor dropping a bag full of bright orange snacks into the cave's Great Chamber, were “entirely preventable” and had a “major impact” on the cave's ecosystem, the post added. At 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide and 255 feet high, the limestone chamber is the largest in the United States and the 32nd largest in the world.
“The processed corn, softened by the humidity of the cave, provided the perfect environment for microbial life and fungi,” the article continued. “Cave crickets, mites, spiders, and flies soon form a temporary food web, distributing nutrients to the surrounding cave and formations. Molds spread higher to nearby surfaces, fruit, die, and stink. And the cycle continues.”
To deal with the impact, the post explained that rangers spent about 20 minutes carefully cleaning foreign debris and mold from the cave's surface. It noted that while members of the transient ecosystem are cave dwellers, most of the microbial life and mold are not cave dwellers.
“A spilled snack pack may seem insignificant from a human perspective, but to cavemen it can make a world of difference,” the post concluded. “Big or small, we all make an impact wherever we go. Let's all leave the world a better place than we found it.”
In fact, the National Park Service website clearly states that in order to protect the cave and its wildlife, the consumption of any food or drink, with the exception of plain, unflavored water, is strictly prohibited. There is a snack bar in the underground rest area, but any food purchased must be consumed there.
In a follow-up post, park officials emphasized their Leave No Trace policy to ensure proper disposal of waste. “Contrary to popular belief, the cave is NOT a HUGE trash can,” the post read, adding that rangers do walk the trails and pick up any waste left behind at the end of each day.
But while cleaning up one's own mess is especially important at Carlsbad Caverns, the National Park Service emphasizes Leave No Trace principles at all of its parks, from minimizing campfire impacts to respecting wildlife.
