National Park Service officials at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico used a bit of humor in their serious message after crews were called in to clean up a bag of Cheetos that had been left inside the cave. The park’s Facebook post featured an image of the abandoned bag of snacks along with the message, “Great or small, we all leave an impact wherever we go.” The post went on to emphasize the importance of respecting the environment and being mindful of the impact of our actions on the world around us.
The post highlighted the positive interactions rangers have with visitors, such as sharing special moments together in the park, as well as the negative experiences, like having to clean up after careless individuals who leave behind trash. While some impacts on the environment may be inevitable, the park noted that there are avoidable actions that can have a significant impact, such as leaving food off of designated trails. In the case of the Cheetos bag, the presence of processed corn provided a breeding ground for fungi and microbial life, impacting the delicate ecosystem of the cave.
Park rangers spent 20 minutes carefully removing foreign detritus and molds from the cave surfaces in order to clean up the mess left behind by the discarded snack bag. The post explained how various cave-dwelling creatures and molds can be affected by the presence of food left behind by visitors, potentially altering the delicate balance of the ecosystem. While the impact of a single snack bag may seem trivial on a human scale, it can have far-reaching consequences for the life of the cave and its inhabitants.
The park’s message served as a reminder to visitors to be mindful of their actions and the impact they have on the environment. While incidental impacts may be difficult to prevent, there are actions that can be taken to minimize the negative effects on the park’s ecosystem. By being mindful of leaving no trace and respecting the natural environment, visitors can help preserve the beauty and integrity of national parks for future generations to enjoy. The park service emphasized the importance of leaving the world a better place than we found it, encouraging everyone to be responsible stewards of the environment.
