CAVING SERIES I: Wisconsin Speleological Society
The Great Outdoors | April 1, 2018
By Bryan Kleist, Wisconsin Speleological Society
There is a little known organization in Wisconsin that has been at work improving a few of the county parks in the East Central part of the state.
This has given children and adults alike an outdoor opportunity like no other in the State. If you have ever been to Ledge View Nature Center or Cherney Maribel Caves County Park you will have been the benefactor of the results of their hard work and dedication. This organization is called the Wisconsin Speleological Society (WSS).
The WSS is a non-profit caving club whose members volunteer their time and come from all walks of life.
Members share a basic interest in the outdoors, particularly the fragile underground natural resource. For the past 35 years the WSS has been restoring caves. More recently, WSS has started giving guided tours that educate the public about these underground treasures. As explorers, the WSS continues to expand the underground, uncovering new passages and rooms on a regular basis.
A cave is a natural chamber, hollow or space underground, made of rock, which is large enough to fit a human.
Only a few small caves are available to see and visit in this part of Wisconsin. WHY? Because, unlike many other caves across the country, Wisconsin caves have been filled completely, or almost completely, with sediments that were deposited by the glaciers. Experienced WSS cavers have opened up some of these hidden caves, making it possible for humans and cave dwelling creatures to access them once again.
In contrast to the few small caves prior to WSS involvement, cave explorers now have a more elaborate cave systems and passages to visit, which benefits this underground natural resource in all aspects.
Next month we will explain the benefits of cave restoration.
More information on the WSS is available at wisconsincaves.org.
Bryan Kleist is the Current Vice Chairman of the Wisconsin Speleological Society (WSS). He holds an associate degree in Natural Resources/Conservation and in Criminal Justice. Bryan has owned and operated a landscape company for 26 years, specializing in natural stone. WSS has been a grotto of the National Speleological Society since 1961; a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote interest in and to advance in any and all ways the study and science of Speleology, the protection of caves and their natural contents, and to promote fellowship among those interested therein. For more information visit: www.wisconsincaves.org
