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Spring & Cave Conservation
Project
Location: Apopka Blue Sink
Dates: April 11-13, 2003
Participants: Cambrian Foundation dive team. Divers: Terrence Tysall,
Anna Olecka, Doug Chapman, James Hurley, Keith Millie, Renee Power,
Jeff Bauer. Surface Support: Mark Miller (City of Apopka), Bob Giguere
(filming), Amy Giannotti (educational activities). Also helping were
Cambrian Foundation interns: Foundation interns: Artie Ahr, Reese
Rechnitz and Josh Taylor.
April 11 - 13, The Cambrian Foundation, in cooperation with the Town
of Apopka, conducted a cleanup of the Apopka Blue Sink. The cleanup,
devoted to the cavern and basin, took three days. The first day was
spent on planning, preparations and orientation dives for the team.
The following two days were devoted to cleanup dives. We pulled out of
the cavern area and hiked up the slope of the sinkhole, a small
mountain of garbage and debris, which was subsequently hauled away by
the City of Apopka. Our "trophies" included: 47 cans & bottles, 16
pieces of fencing including metal posts with cement blocks still
attached, 9 car components from a wheel and tire all the way down to a
set of keys. Among smaller items were: shotgun shells (7), pots and
pans, articles of clothing, food wrappers etc. Most memorable trophies
included a miniature of the Titanic and a pelvic bone of a cat. There
is still plenty of garbage and debris buried in the silt in the
cavern. Similar cleanup events will be conducted in the future.
In addition to the cleanup program, this project also included an
educational outreach component. Several troupes of Girl Scouts were
involved in educational activities on site. Some of the troupes had an
opportunity to view the inside of the cave system through a drop
camera with a video hookup to the surface. Other educational
activities ranged from sorting and recycling trash from the sinkhole,
to learning about Florida aquifer, discussions of conservation issues
and a demonstration of sinkholes formation.
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