A Summer of Wonders
Eleven weeks sure do fly by when you’re having fun. I swear I was just sitting in a room with 30 strangers learning about what the difference between a national park and monument was. Those strangers and I have since …
The Fault in our Caves
I’ve had a blast this summer at Jewel Cave. I’ve done so many cool things in such a short time! Although I didn’t answer every question I had about this place, I know my efforts will help the park solve …
Cave Hunter
There are many bright minds on the resource management team. One intern who has stood out the most in my mind is Hunter, a Geoscientists-in-the-Park intern. Hunter and I were both hired to do the same job: studying the geology …
Progress Update!
Now that I’m about 75% of the way through my Jewel Cave internship, it’s only right that I update you on the work I’ve done these last few weeks. Time just keeps flying by; I feel like I just started …
South Dakota Adventures
This past weekend I went to Jewel Cave and Wind Cave with some of my fellow interns thanks to the efforts of EFTA (Environment for the Americas). We went to Jewel Cave first, which was an impressive cave system whose …
All Work and No Play
Jewel Cave keeps me both mentally and physically busy during the work week. In addition to photo monitoring and structure mapping, there are always side projects that need to be done. One such project was installing a 2500‘ PVC drainage …
Call of the Void
Recreational caving is new to me. Sure, I’ve poked around in small caves with a flashlight, but they’d either end or become crawlways that I didn’t feel comfortable going through. Prior to this summer, my favorite cave visit was to …
The Missing Beaver
I spent most of this week in park wide training for first season park service staff but at the end of the week I led a hike on the Chilkoot Trail with the goal to reach several sample sites. When …
What Lies Below?
This summer is jam-packed. Even though Jewel Cave is a small monument, the resource management (RM) team is tasked with a broad range of important work. Aside from our daily duties, we’re available to assist with cave emergencies, maintenance projects, …
Jewel Cave National Monument
In only two weeks, I’ve learned a plethora of details about Jewel Cave National Monument. Before you get your hopes up, no, the ‘jewels’ that cover the cavern walls aren’t rubies and diamonds, but various crystalline forms of calcite. In …