This news story popped up on my Google Alert:

http://www.herald-citizen.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=B5D73C77-19B9-E2E2-677CE5FEC199A60A

( click on photo also )


or,

"Cavers clean up watershed"


Cold, wet weather wasn't enough to deter a group of cavers from their
appointed duties. Over the course of several hours and with the help
of rigging equipment, the group hauled tons of trash from the side of
a steep incline and sent it to be recycled or to a landfill.

"It went fantastic," said event organizer Anne Elmore of the clean- up
at Coal Bank Road in White County. "We went two or three feet deep in
bottles, cans, diapers and all the dead animals."

The group was part of the SERA (SouthEastern Regional Association)
Karst Task Force, a nonprofit organization of cavers dedicated to the
conservation and clean up of caves and watersheds. Fifty-nine
volunteers braved the cold weather, traveling from as far away as
Texas and North Carolina to be a part of the event.

The Coal Bank Road area is part of the Blue Spring Watershed. It is
also the site of trash dumping.

"The people at the bottom of the watershed, when they turn their water
on, it's been filtered through the dirty diapers, the dead goats, the
tires," Elmore said. "And it goes into our nightly glass of water."

She hopes people will think before they throw their trash on the side
of the road and consider not only the damage it can do to the
landscape, but also the damage it can do to the environment and ground
water.

Evan Hart Ph.D., at Tennessee Tech University, explained groundwater
moves quickly in this area due to the bedrock and high density of
caves and sinkholes.

"In the Highland Rim, you have a high density of caves and underground
openings that allow water to move quickly," Hart said. "A trash dump
can easily be connected to a spring or well a few miles away."

Hart explained water is naturally filtered by soil, sand and rock, but
it needs to move slowly to be effective. Trash dumping in a watershed
area has a high potential for damage, he said.

Cavers are uniquely qualified for an event such as this, which was
taking trash up a steep hillside. Using a haul system, the group was
able to easily haul up trash and old tires they found.

"The hard thing is getting people to sit and pick through the dirt,"
Elmore said. "Cavers can do that."

The group recycled 6,780 pounds, for which they earned $33.90, which
will be used to purchase materials for a future clean-up. Another
8,040 pounds of trash was collected and transported to the White
County landfill.

"That's not bad for the first shot at it," Elmore said, noting another
clean-up would be needed. "We still have stuff at the bottom. And
that's the heavy things, the stoves and refrigerators. But those can
be knocked out in a few hours."

Elmore thanked everyone who took part in the clean-up, including White
County Executive Herd Sullivan, who waived tipping fees and provided a
roll-off container for the trash collection; PSC Metals in Cookeville,
which provided a recycling container and picked it up; Lonnie Carr,
who also assisted with planning the event; and the landowner William
Johnson.

Weather that morning was difficult.

"It started out overcast in the 30s, and it went downhill from there,"
Elmore said.

But the volunteers came out, many with their children, and all were
ready to face the elements. Elmore organized a clean-up just for the
kids nearby the adults so they could be part of the day.

"I want our children to clean up trash. It makes an impact," Elmore
said. "They are the ones that are going to clean up when we are gone.

"When you're working down a slope like this and you are working and
sweating and you've got your best friends next to you, weather is just
so insignificant. And you are all working toward the same goal, you
don't even think about it."

Elmore said the organization operates on a shoestring budget and
relies on volunteers. They are also always looking for potential
clean-up locations -- both on private and public property. They
complete six to eight clean-ups each year and can tackle clean-ups
where the terrain requires special equipment.

"We keep plugging because we believe it's the right thing to do,"
Elmore said. "You feel really good at the end of the day. Between cave
trips, we feel like we need to give back to Mother Nature and what she
lets us do underground."

For more information about SKTF, e-mail sktfi@yahoo. com. It is a
nonprofit organization and donations are tax deductible.

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