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CAVE CONSERVATION

It is important that we do not adversely impact the cave environment or the fauna and flora that live in it. Cavers try to tread lightly and minimise their impact, so that future cavers can follow and enjoy the cave as much as they have.
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The widely adopted outdoor code Leave No Trace is outlined below.

CAVE CONSERVATION RESOURCES TO DOWNLOAD

NZSS Minimum Impact Code
DownloadMt Owen Guidelines
DownloadKarst Management Guidelines
Download

TREAT FORMATIONS WITH GREAT CARE

Treat cave formations with great care, as they are fragile and  damage cannot be reversed. Avoid touching formations as you pass through the cave, because a muddy handprint can be calcited into the formation and become permanent.

TRAVEL ON DURABLE GROUND

When travelling to cave entrances stick to formed tracks or durable ground to minimise damage to plants. Cavers rarely camp underground except on large expeditions as it is not particularly comfortable and staying in one place for extended periods can cause a lot of damage. Travelling on durable ground means not risking walking on virgin cave formation, taking your packs off when crawling so as not to break stalactites or straws, and not walking on ancient mud banks which may look ‘fresh’ but could be hundreds of years old. Caves aren’t really affected by anything else other than humans, so any damage that we do is permanent. Cave formations can take millennia to form, but only a second to break. Tape and string lines are used to protect particularly delicate areas.

RESPECT WILDLIFE AND FARM ANIMALS

It is fine to photograph eels, fish, spiders, wētā, or kura you find in caves – but leave them alone. Similarly when crossing farm paddocks to or from a cave entrance avoid spooking farm animals. Leave all farm gates as you found them. Also be aware of electric fences, as the current may conduct through wet caving overalls or metal hardware!

BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS

By “others” we mean not only other cave users but also landowners in particular. Treat all private property with due respect.  Leave things inside and outside the cave as you would want to find them.

LEAVE WHAT YOU FIND

Be it a rock, a piece of cave formation, a wētā or anything else, leave it where you found it. This ensures the cave can not only be enjoyed by others but the ecosystem remains intact. Boot-washing stations are sometimes installed before clean areas of formation, so if you find one obey the signage. Graffiti of any kind is not acceptable.

DISPOSE OF WASTE PROPERLY

Pack out absolutely everything you take in, including faeces. Urinating in streams is acceptable but avoided if possible.

CAVE CONSERVATION ISSUES

Over the years NZSS has been involved in many issues that have, or could have affected the caves and the karst environment that we value, from the West Coast beech forest logging campaign of the 1970s to the local cave clean-up operations that some groups have begun undertaking in recent years, and more recently advocating for the addition of the Charleston Conservation Area to Paparoa National Park.

There will no doubt be many future cave conservation issues. If you are aware of a threat to your local caves, contact the NZSS Conservation Officer.

CAVE CLEAN-UPS

NZSS owns two water-blasting machines and other equipment that is used for cleaning mud off stalactites and cave floors. These are held in Nelson and Waitomo, and can be borrowed by contacting NSG or HTG as appropriate.

CONSERVATION CONTACTS

Most local caving groups have appointed a Cave Conservation Officer, who can bring conservation issues to the attention of the club.
Alternatively, contact the NZSS Conservation Coordinator.

NZSS CAVE CONSERVATION & ACCESS TRUST

The NZSS Cave Conservation and Access Trust is a charitable trust that was set up to protect and manage caves in New Zealand. Central to the Trust's purposes is the purchase of critical areas of private land that include caves of national significance. The first instance is the purchase in 2023 of a 21 ha block including Greenlink Cave entrances on Tākaka Hill in the Tasman District.
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Smaller projects that have been achieved are the restoration of Honeycomb Hut in the Buller District, and an investigation into the management of Whites Cave in the Waitomo District.
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Donations to the Trust are tax deductible, and can be tagged to a specific project if desired. The Trust is interested in supporting further locally-led cave conservation and access projects, including land purchase. If you have a project idea that you would like the Trust to support, contact one of the trustees.

For further information refer to the Trust website at the link below.

Cave Conservation & Access Trust
External Link

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ABOUT NZSS

NEW ZEALAND SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Exploring and protecting caves

NZSS is the national speleological body in New Zealand, representing its members in all matters of speleology, and promoting the conservation of caves and karst.

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