Mammoth Cave National Park
The Shallow and the Deep
The Shallow and the Deep 13X40 Pastel and pencil on paper
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Long ago, tens of millions of bats lived in Mammoth Cave.
As seasons changed throughout the year, airflow in and out of the many entrances to Mammoth Cave provided a variety of unique conditions. These "chimney effects" meant that many different species of bats thrived in areas of the cave perfectly suited to their differing temperature needs for hibernation and raising young. They were also protected from extremes in weather.
Examples of the chimney effect
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Mammoth Cave Historic Entrance in August - by the artist
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Since the first written history in 1791, human intervention has completely changed airflow in Mammoth Cave, and others in this important region of the world, introducing instability that has contributed to the near extinction of bat species such as the endangered Indiana myotis.
Scientists who study bat conservation now believe that making simple, artificial alterations in the airflow of Mammoth Cave will create the conditions necessary for restoring traditional bat roosts, promoting the flourishing of nearly extinct species. These alterations would have minimal impact on tourism and bring the additional attraction of live infrared viewing of thousands of protected bats.
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Learn more about the science behind finding, protecting and restoring historic bat caves such as Mammoth Cave from Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation.
Millions of this endangered Indiana bat once lived in Mammoth Cave
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Note from the artist:
Nothing really prepares you for Mammoth Cave. Descending the trail to the Historic Entrance, bright sunlight from the canopy above the cave flickers in the leaves and branches on both sides, filtering through and striking reddish leaf litter, woodland plants, and exposed rock. As the slopes on either side divide and narrow, the tops of the hills are no longer visible. All of a sudden, the temperature drops. The mouth of the cave is surrounded by an invisible pocket of air so much cooler than the surrounding woods that it feels like you are pitching forward into it. If you consider what's actually happening, the earth is breathing through the cave, which is not separable from the surrounding ecosphere. The Shallow and the Deep is the title of an essay by the philosopher and ecologist Arne Naess. The artwork The Shallow and the Deep depicts the experience of descending the shimmering slope to the Historic Entrance, and walking into the cool exhale of the cave.
The Shallow and the Deep is based on the harmonic pattern of Mysterious Barricades by François Couperin.