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Cave Care

|| Danger || Damage ||

DANGER!

Cave explorers always go in groups, never alone. If an accident does happen, cavers can help each other or send for rescuers. Joining a caving club is a good way to learn safe caving skills.

Damage

When we visit caves, we must do no harm. Trash can kill cave wildlife. Graffiti makes the walls ugly and lasts forever. Cave features take thousands of years to grow. A broken stalactite or gypsum flower can't be put back together. Future visitors will want to see unspoiled caves as much as we do!

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This teacher packet was originally available in printed format. The online edition contains full text from the original publication. Some images have been modified or added to improve the scientific visualization of information. All poster text and images are available under the Poster section. A paper copy of the poster is for sale by calling 1-888-ASK-USGS. The Master Sheets and Activity Sheets are in PDF format. The PDF format reproduces the printed publication and will be better for creating overlay and overhead transparencies. To view and print PDF's install the Acrobat Reader, available at no charge from Adobe Systems. This document has undergone official review and approval for publications established by the National Mapping Division, U.S. Geological Survey.