Twenty-five cavers from around the state spent November 13 and 14 cleaning the garbage and rubbish out of Jennings Cave in Marion County, Florida in hopes that the bat colony, driven out by pollution and vandals during the 1970’s, might return. Using shovels, buckets, pry bars and a 5-gallon drum on a lifting rig, the group filled a 20 cubic yard dumpster with everything from tractor parts to love letters. At the peak of activity, the scene resembled photographs of Jim White’s crew hauling guano out of Carlsbad Caverns! Among the more prominent items removed were: a bed frame with mattress and box spring, a “use your Visa Card here” sign, assorted sex toys, a camp stove with fuel cans, a tent, a bedpan, wall-to-wall carpet, gallons of leaking oil jugs, and nine “No Trespassing” signs.

Following the cleanup, the cave’s pit entrance is now about 8 feet deeper than before and it is possible to walk into the main room instead of crawling. Thanks to everyone who participated for the great job . . . and special thanks to our corporate sponsors - Waste Management, Incorporated for their dumpster and hauling services; the Marion County Commission for waiving landfill charges; Cox Cable of Ocala for providing and installing a steel cable/highwire for our hauling system and for donating ice, food, and drinks for the cleanup crew. This is the second time Cox Cable has supported our cleanup efforts, showing their commitment to the environment in Marion County.

An extra-special thanks to John and Deb Singley, whose restaurant ‘Chuckie’s in the Forest’, donated catered lunches, a dining tent and latrine facilities. John also served as the Project Coordinator for the entire activity. Jennings Cave (also known as Confederate Cave) was occupied by a large maternity colony of the southeastern brown bat (Myotis austroriparius) until the early 1970’s. Vandals apparently killed many and drove off the colony during the 1970’s. Their return was pretty much prevented throughout the 1980’s as locals began to use the cave as a garbage dump. Since 1992, the cave has come under the protection of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission and, through cooperative agreements, the FSS. The cave is now listed on Florida’s Conservation and Recreational Land acquisition list. Hopefully, it will be acquired by the State and, once again, be a home to bats.