Barbara Schomer Preserve Permit Application
Persons wishing to visit the Barbara Schomer Preserve of the MAKC and Sarah Furnace Cave, should submit the following permit application.
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Author: karst
Cleversburg Sink
After much work and persistence, the MAKC and Franklin County Grotto (FCG) negotiated a lease of Cleversburg Sink with Southampton Township (the cave owners) in Cumberland County, PA. Since late in 2006, the cave has been closed until an access policy could be worked out. Cleversburg Sink is a significant geologic and hydrogeological cave.The management […]
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Bedford Springs Cave
Thanks to the work of member Mike Kern, the MAKC has negotiated a lease agreement for access to the Bedford Springs Cave. Mike Kern and Kaleb Hammond are heading up the preserve management team and can be contacted at BedfordSprings@karst.org. Part of our lease agreement includes notifying the owner and the security team when a trip is […]
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Bear Cave Preserve Permit Request
Bear Cave Natural Area • Western PA •Open 4/15 to 10/15 • MAKC Lease • Permit Required • bearcave@karst.org Please read the management plan and mail or email a permit application to visit Bear Cave. While the permit application is below, the management plan should be read before submitting. The plan will be changing with […]
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Barbara Schomer Preserve
Shortly after her passing in 2011, the MAKC received a substantial gift from the estate of Barbara Schomer, which was restricted to our cave acquisition fund. We have looked at at least a half dozen cave projects in that time; however, none have come to fruition. Finally, with the option on Sarah Furnace Cave, MAKC […]
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Rupert Cave Biology
Rupert Cave has never had a large bat population, although four bat species have been found in the cave; Northern Long Eared, Eastern Pipistrelle, Big Brown and Little Brown bats. In 2001 a bat gate was added to the side of the entrance building. Over the following eight years the bat count would climb from […]
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Bear Cave
Bear Cave is a privately-owned cave, and always has been. It is owned and managed by cavers, Tom and Kim Metzgar, who permit visitation for those who have read the management plan and agree to abide by certain restrictions. If the owners are taking the time to manage the preserve, and to permit visitation, which […]
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Sarah Furnace Cave
Sarah Furnace Cave By Kim Metzgar The MAKC has been interested in purchasing Sarah Furnace Cave in northwestern Pennsylvania’s Clarion County since 2006 when we learned that the property had changed hands. The cave had been owned by Mary Landi of Clarion, who at one time permitted caving, with permission obtained by cavers through her […]
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Silers Cave Management Plan
INTRODUCTION The Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy (MAKC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania in 1997. The MAKC owns and leases several karst preserves in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The MAKC was established by cavers to preserve and ensure access to caves. We acquire and manage caves and karst areas for conservation, […]
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Billy Clay Sponsors
On May 30, 2002, just two weeks before the final payment was due on Billy Clay Pit, the MAKC got a phone call from Dick Blenz, the Indiana caver who has supported many cave conservation projects from many conservancies and the NSS. Dick bought a whole lot at the Hall Cave Preserve to get us […]
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Bear Cave Photos
Here are some photos of the preserve.
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Trout Run Woods Management Plan
Special Note: White Nose Syndrome-Trout Run Woods Caves were closed in an attempt to prevent White Nose Syndrome from being spread by caver contact. During that closure period, the fungus was spread from bat to bat contact and the caves in the region have been contaminated. Everyone visiting this preserve must follow strict decontamination procedures […]
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Silers Cave Trip Request
Silers Cave is a new cave preserve of the MAKC. The current owners purchased the property in October 2018 with the intent of reopening the cave to the caving community. MAKC is partnering with Sligo and Baltimore Grottos, both of which are members of MAKC, and Jim McConkey, who will serve as cave manager, in […]
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Rupert Cave Description
Rupert Cave is notable for its many speleothems, and for an interesting combination of cave passages that change character as one travels through the cave. Speleothems include a number of large ribbons, many of which have a twin, or second ribbon, right behind the first ribbon. The largest broomstick stalagmite in the cave is well […]
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