Environmental Education
Click here to download our printer-friendly MS Word version!

The land all around us is changing, though it is not always easy to see. These changes are often a natural result of the cycle of life, such as the process by which rocks change form. You can see this process in action in the Ruby Falls cavern as you view rock formations shaped by water and time.

Sometimes things that humans do cause these natural processes to happen too quickly or take place where they shouldn't. When this happens or natural resources are quickly destroyed. A natural resource is anything in nature we can use or enjoy. It is especially unfortunate when caves are destroyed because caves are home to many creatures that cannot live outside of the cave environment. Many of these creatures are so small that they may go unnoticed, but they are very important to scientists because of the special environment in which they live. In fact, cave ecosystems often are so complete that they are not affected by the outside world, and evolution may have produced unique creatures that are found in only one individual cave. This means many of these tiny creatures are endangered species.

Caves are a non-renewable resource. When something is non-renewable it will take a very, very long time to replace it. Some non-renewable resources may never be replaced. Ruby Falls is a non-renewable resource because it took many years to form, and it is unique. If it were destroyed, we could never recreate the many formations inside of it.

We are all responsible for protecting our natural resources. This is why our government and concerned people in our communities are now taking steps like recycling or creating protected areas such as National Parks. It is because of these conservation efforts that people can travel throughout the country and see natural formations, such as geysers, caves, and unusual plants and animals. We can all help to protect our caves by following some simple steps, such as using caution to avoid breaking or damaging the formations in caves. Another important step in cave conservation is education. If people are aware of the scientific value and natural beauty of the cave, they are less likely to damage the cave. Ruby Falls is proud to be on the National Register of Historic Places which means that Ruby Falls in unique and has an important place in the local history of Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain. We should all do our best to preserve it for future generations. A good conservation rule for caves is "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints."