Oregon Caves National Monument EcoAdventure

The Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is a protected area managed by the National Park Service’s Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. The monument and preserve is over 4500 acres, protected for its cultural, environmental, and scientific value in 1909. The area provides crucial habitat for 130 landbird species, over 340 microbes and invertebrates, 10 endemic cave species, 10 bat species, reptiles, and amphibians.

Prior to the trip, the class met twice to go over logistics and brief history/ ecology of the area. We had the pleasure to hear from Alice Chung-MacCoubrey from the NPS Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network who gave an informative talk on bats in the monument. She discussed white-nose syndrome, which is a contagious fungal disease that negatively affects hibernating bats. It causes infected bats to rouse from hibernation at abnormal times, which depletes energy reserves needed to make it through the months when insects are sparse. Bat mortality rates have increased dramatically in affected caves, and Alice Chung-MacCoubrey stated that scientists fear it is only a matter of time before white-nose syndrome is found in the Oregon Caves NM. All visitors are instructed to not wear any gear or boots that have been in other caves in an attempt to curb the introduction of this fungal disease for as long as possible.

On October 28th, 2024, ES&P professor Captain Leslie Eldridge led about 20 SOU students on a day-long adventure to the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve. Although it rained most of the day, our group had high morale. Since the class was so large, we split into two groups of ten for the cave tour, each led by a park ranger. The tour lasted around two hours, winding through the marble passages and rooms. We learned about the geologic history of the cave and how it was formed by the slow dissolution of rock by acidic waters. The marble caves are adorned with calcite crystals, but the marble originated as limestone. The limestone metamorphosed to marble around 170 million years ago as a result of a process called accretion. At the deepest point, the caves reach 220 feet below the surface!

After completing the cave tour, there was a break in the rain and we took a short hike. The break in the inclement weather was brief, and rain turned to snow at the high elevation. Through the gloomy weather, the fall colors popped with unbelievable vibrance. Park ranger Jessica led our class on a mock salamander survey. We walked along a trail, flipping stones and peeking under tree bark until a classmate exclaimed, “Bingo!,” he had proudly found our first and only salamander of the day.

At the end of the tip, the EcoAdventurers had gained knowledge and understanding of cave systems and species, wildlife in the area, and the importance of water-resistant clothing.