This week’s blog was written by Stefani G., an Ursids alum. Stefani was born in Venezuela and has always wanted to work with animals. It is her hope that someday she will become a wildlife biologist.
Yesterday, I visited Penn’s Cave with my mom and brother. She figured that I would like it since I had been telling her to go hiking and camping with me. I wanted to do something like that as an outreach project but we haven’t decided on when and where yet. We visited Penn’s Cave and it is extremely beautiful.
The top of Penn’s Cave.
A river inside the cave. The water is extremely clear.
We took a tour around the different rooms of the cave. Our tour guide explained the different types of rock to us and how we couldn’t touch them. It turns out these rocks are “alive”. They say they are alive since they grow as time goes on. If a person touches them, the oil from their hands will make the minerals slide off the rock preventing it from growing and eventually the rock will become a dark color.
Stalactite, a type of rock that grows down like an icicle. It is produced by the precipitation of minerals.
The guardian of the cave.
An example of this is the flowstone. If flowstone is healthy it will be as white and shiny as snow but if it has been touched it will lose its colors. It is imperative that guest do not touch the rocks so that we can preserve this natural wonder for the next generations and so that everyone can enjoy their beauty.
The photos used in this blog belong to the author.
Penn’s Cave
Posted: September 21, 2024 by Katie Mace
This week’s blog was written by Stefani G., an Ursids alum. Stefani was born in Venezuela and has always wanted to work with animals. It is her hope that someday she will become a wildlife biologist.
Yesterday, I visited Penn’s Cave with my mom and brother. She figured that I would like it since I had been telling her to go hiking and camping with me. I wanted to do something like that as an outreach project but we haven’t decided on when and where yet. We visited Penn’s Cave and it is extremely beautiful.
We took a tour around the different rooms of the cave. Our tour guide explained the different types of rock to us and how we couldn’t touch them. It turns out these rocks are “alive”. They say they are alive since they grow as time goes on. If a person touches them, the oil from their hands will make the minerals slide off the rock preventing it from growing and eventually the rock will become a dark color.
An example of this is the flowstone. If flowstone is healthy it will be as white and shiny as snow but if it has been touched it will lose its colors. It is imperative that guest do not touch the rocks so that we can preserve this natural wonder for the next generations and so that everyone can enjoy their beauty.
The photos used in this blog belong to the author.
Category: Youth Blog