Left: Cheetos (Photo: Mr. Brian via Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0), Right: Carlsbad Caverns (Photo: Daniel Schwen via Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Heading to the wilderness to enjoy nature is a great decision. Leaving behind processed foods in delicate cavern environments, not so much. A tasty snack like Cheetos can damage an entire ecosystem when not disposed of properly, according to the staff at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. In early September 2024, a guest dropped an unfinished bag of cheesy treats off the trail, causing a cascade of ecological responses that imbalanced the local food chain. Within the realm of the cave, such a blunder can be “world-changing,” warns the park on social media.
The Facebook post reminds us of the fragile interconnectedness of all beings, giving relatable examples from daily life, including the impact of being greeted by a smile. In the post, the staff describes the effects of the abandoned snack food.
“The processed corn, softened by the humidity of the cave, formed the perfect environment to host microbial life and fungi. Cave crickets, mites, spiders, and flies soon organize into a temporary food web, dispersing the nutrients to the surrounding cave and formations. Molds spread higher up the nearby surfaces, fruit, die, and stink.”
Only water is allowed inside the gigantic cavern where the Cheetos were dropped. Known as “The Big Room,” it is the largest cave in North America. Other kinds of drinks and food may attract unexpected animal life to the area, resulting in the mold growth observed in this case. or have other unforeseen consequences. It’s hard to know when and where the ripples will go; as the Carlsbad Caverns National Park warns in its post, “the cycle continues.”
In other recent posts, the Carlsbad Caverns team reminds the public of Leave No Trace (LNT) principles. This set of seven principles evolved out of a need to help nature lovers and recreationists have a smaller impact on the wild places they visit. LNT was developed in the 1980s and further adopted and condensed by national land management agencies in the 1990s. The third LNT principle is “Dispose of Waste Properly,” sometimes paraphrased as “Trash Your Trash.”
In September 2024, a visitor to Carlsbad Caverns dropped a bag of Cheetos off the trail, causing a surge of ecological changes.
Cheetos bag dropped in Carlsbad Caverns (Photo: National Park Service/ Carlsbad Caverns National Park/Facebook)
Mold and new insect activity were some changes to the delicate cave ecosystem. Only water is allowed inside “The Big Room,” the biggest cave in North America, where the cheesy snacks were dropped.
The rangers at Carlsbad Caverns constantly monitor the grounds for litter.
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The park encourages its social followers to remember the seven Leave No Trace principles when visiting natural areas. The third principle is, “Dispose of Waste Properly,” which is sometimes paraphrased as, “Trash Your Trash.”
Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Website | Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [UNILAD]
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