While we were at the festival in Monmouth, we went to the Maquoketa Caves State Park. We didn't quite know what to expect. When we first arrived we were given a talk about bats and White Nose Syndrome. Both of us were surprised that there was no cost for the caves. For those that complain of paying taxes, it's not only teachers that suck up the tax dollar, it's also wonderful state parks. Although it was raining off and on everywhere else in the area, our cave hike was dry (except in the caves) and sunny.
What did I learn? I knew that bats eat mosquitoes, so we should love bats. Bats, however, hibernate in the winter which is good because there are no mosquitoes for them to eat. White Nose Syndrome is a fungus that wakes them up in the middle of winter. Since they can't survive in the middle of the winter, they die. We were asked to wipe our feet on green mats (with disinfectant) when we entered and exited the caves. Plus, we were asked not to wear the same clothing in any other cave.
Comments
I always feel so sorry for the bats. They're dropping like flies. We need them.
Caves are neat.