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Leaves are Falling; Autumn's Calling
The fall season at Westcave is a magic like no other! Cooler temperatures and less daylight sparks a magnificent change in our plant species. The leaves of the bald cypress, oak, and sycamore trees are changing colors to brilliant oranges, browns, and yellows; fluttering down to the grotto pool in an elaborate dance at every gust of wind. The vibrant greens of ferns are taking on a deep emerald color. We are so grateful to witness these changes in our most beloved place and connect with our members and guests through hike experiences as the transitions become more intense. Come see for yourself what makes Westcave a gem in the Texas Hill Country!
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Field Trips with Lindsay
Environmental Programs Manager Lindsay Loftin and her team led a girl-scout trip around the preserve. It's safe to say that everyone had an amazing time learning and relaxing in this beautiful place!
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Nature and Grief
by Lindsay Loftin
Environmental Education Programs Manager, Lindsay, shared her story of an experience with Westcave volunteer, Mickey.
For many people in our Westcave community, the holiday season gatherings, though joyous, can also serve as reminders of loved ones they've lost over the last year. I was touched by an experience I recently shared with Mickey, an education department volunteer and Westcave member, who shared with me how he felt connected to Westcave as a place to heal those in mourning and grief. After leading a hike, he asked my permission to linger in the grotto area to say goodbye to a coworker lost too soon. He re-emerged from the trail with tears in his eyes. As we shared a hug, Mickey said, "I need this place to be able to have the space, the quiet peace, to really let go of the pain I'm carrying." When we caught up shortly after to see how he was feeling, Mickey shared a story by David Wagoner that reminded me of the many ways nature and wilderness specifically support us in leading healthy lives and reorient us when we feel lost. As we celebrate life this holiday season, may we acknowledge with gratitude the immeasurable value of nature and quiet places to be still. May we thank those who came before us, with the wisdom and courage to protect these cathedrals of rock and moss, these temples of leaves and grass, so that those yet to live might know them.
LOST, by David Wagoner
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
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Fungi photo by Tamas Kolossa
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Fungi: Nature's Master Recyclers!
Story by Nature to Neighborhood Manager, Kathy Zarsky
Imagine if all the leaves that fell from trees didn’t break down, but instead accumulated with all other dead matter into mountains of waste. Thank goodness for our often invisible and underappreciated master recyclers:
fungi! Decomposition is taking place all around us all of the time, but late autumn in Central Texas offers a unique nutrient load to this process with deciduous trees dropping their leaves. The trail to Westcave’s grotto is sensory delight in the late fall with changing colors and rich, earthy smells of leaf decay.
Have you ever visited Westcave in the fall and winter when the trail to the grotto is carpeted in leaves and the air is saturated with the tell-tale aroma of vegetative decay and decomposition? Perhaps you’ve also noticed the many fallen trees left in place to slowly decompose on the ground? These large trees are referred to as ‘nurse logs’ because they become literal nurseries for decomposer communities that release nutrients back into the ecosystem. Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecosystems, and it’s hard to imagine our world without their valuable services. In short, because of fungi, death begets life.
In 2020, the cumulative mass of human-made materials surpassed that of all of earth’s biomass. We have generated a waste problem in need of solutions, and many industries are starting to reengineer materials that work in concert with nature’s circular processes. The construction industry creates more material waste than any other sector, but we’re seeing solutions enter this space, too! The study of mycology has led to bioremediation strategies that help us clean up types of toxic waste and spills we’ve introduced into the environment. As your trees continue to drop their leaves, consider leaving them so vital nutrient exchange processes can take place. Maybe your curiosity will lead you to get down on your knees and explore the layers within a pile of leaves. The next time we get a nice rain, give thanks to the mushrooms that emerge in the duff, as they are indicators of an active wood wide web of fungal networks underfoot. Perhaps these new observations will inspire you to learn more, and we hope they do!
Check out the link below to see "Visualizing the Accumulation of Human-Made Mass on Earth"
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We Love Our Conservation Programs!
Check out some of our final events for the year.
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Greetings from Westcave! There are still a few ways to get involved in one of our Conservation Programs before the end of the year. Use the link below to sign up for our final Bird Hike or the Full Moon Hike today! See you on the trail!
Update, the final Bird Hike has been moved to December 7th! Keep your eyes peeled for the link to register on our instagram and facebook!
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Discovering Westcave's Bee Creek Cave Harvestman
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The Bee Creek Cave Harvestman is one of Central Texas's Endangered Karst Invertebrates. We are so lucky to have this guy dwelling within our cave! Karst Invertebrates play a serious role in the health of our sensitive cave systems. Development of Central Texas has led to their critical numbers, as caves have been filled in or paved over to make way for urbanization. With the changing water table, some caves have become dry while others have flooded, and increased pollution has found its way into Texas's caves. The Bee Creek Cave Harvestman's survival depends on the education of this invertebrate and preservation of Travis county and Williamson county cave systems
Another critical species, Stygobromus russelli, was found in one of the smaller caves at Westcave Preserve! We are overjoyed to know our caves can be healthy habitat for these special creatures. Just remember, these species are endangered and are not meant to be hunted down to find. treat your local caves and karst features with respect, knowing small critters are inside each and every one!
Pictured above is our amazing Conservation Staff in Westcave's cave searching for the Bee Creek Cave Harvestman! And what do you know, we found one! Go Conservation!
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If you have any questions, comments, or fun stories to share please email us at info@westcave.org.
Best,
Your Westcave Family
info@westcave.org
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