Thirty-seven volunteers from Nevada, Utah, California, Idaho, Canada and Australia gathered the weekend of March 21-23, 2014 in Great Basin National Park to help clean Lehman Caves during the annual lint camp. Participants picked lint from cave formations and walls along 600 feet of passage and treated algae accumulations near lights. In addition, volunteers carried out over 4,000 pounds of old trail debris, particularly sand, that had covered formations. They used brushes and dust pans and dumped the sand into five-gallon buckets, which were carried or wheeled out one or two buckets at a time.
Superintendent Steven Mietz said, “The lint campers’ volunteer work is invaluable to preserving the world-class Lehman Caves formations. While providing a vital service to the park, the volunteers also get a unique, up-close and prolonged experience of the cave that few visitors enjoy.”
Nine-year old Rebecca Croswhite echoed that sentiment, “I can’t wait until the next lint camp!”
The interagency effort was also supported by the Western Cave Conservancy, a group dedicated to protecting caves in the western US. Half the participants were under age 25, and some of the participants were fulfilling school community service projects. The NPS Cave and Karst Program Manager, Dale Pate, also assisted with the restoration.
Ben Roberts, Chief of Natural Resources, said, “Volunteers with a wide range of experience, from long-time grotto members to families new to caving, were able to make a lasting contribution to cave conservation. Many features in the cave were uncovered after decades under trail debris including rimstone dams in the Lodge Room near the King and Queens Bathtub. Thanks to the volunteers’ hard work, visitors will be able to enjoy these features now and into the future.
The park is planning to hold another lint and restoration camp next year, continuing to engage park visitors in new and different ways to celebrate the NPS Centennial.
