Australia's Caves & Karst
Cave Conservation Australia draws on volunteer cavers, cave divers, and individuals who explore, research, document, conserve, and educate the public about the caves and karst of Australia.
We advocate for our underground cave environments, as we recognise the irreplaceable values our caves and karst landscapes hold. The work of the members of the Cave Conservation Team have helped save:
The caves of Mt Etna, Queensland
Colong Caves, New South Wales
The Exit Cave System, Tasmania
The Potholes, Victoria
The Caves of the Cape Range Region, Western Australia
Yessabah Caves, New South Wales
Timor Caves, New South Wales
we work to protect
Deep knowledge to uncover and protect
White Nose Syndrome Research Project
The Conservation Commission in working to protect this important part of Australia from becoming the home of 25 million solar panels, 3000 wind turbines, an industrial processing site for hydrogen and ammonia and many mining sites.
YOU can stop the Nullarbor from irreversible damage, by supporting us.
Cave Crickets - What are they?
A project supporting the identification and naming of Cave Crickets around Australia.
Cave crickets live near the entrances of most caves in Southern Australia and Tasmania. They are viewed as an indicator of the health of the invertebrate biota found in caves. They have evolved to live in the darkness of caves They have no eyes, and no chirp. They use their long antennas and legs to find their food.
Promotes public education projects about caves and karst landscapes, how to protect and manage them. See the very successful program: Cave Animal of the Year.
Education Projects
Bushfires have always been part of the Australian landscape, shaping its biodiversity, the evolution of its plants and influencing cultural practices. The 2019-2020 bushfires impacted a large proportion of the caves and karst on the eastern part of Australia, destroying vegetation, wildlife, polluting waterways, with smoke and ash penetrating cave systems.
Research into the fire impacts on caves and biota that live within continues and with another scorching summer predicted, this research is imperative.
Post Bushfire Cave Research
The Cave Conservation Team provides support for a range of karst and cave conservation projects. Below are details of those projects funded by the Karst Conservation Fund.
Nullarbor Karst Protection Action Required NOW
Ghost Bat Genetics Research
Cave dwelling bats in SE Australia are considered at risk of WNS should the fungus enter Australia. This project studies the over-wintering and hibernation biology of the critically endangered Eastern Bent-wing Bat in SE Australia.
Mt Etna Ghost Bat Genetics Research has revealed the 2012-3 population was about 30 individual bats, which was substantiated by models based on the restricted genetic base revealed from the laboratory genetic studies.
The Mt Etna population does not interbreed with other populations of the ghost bat in Queensland. This low population is unsustainable. The population has seriously declined in numbers since quarrying destroyed a cave used for over-wintering. Various strategies are being considered to ensure the population’s survival.
Our partners
Project: Ghost Bat Genetics
Project: White Nose Syndrome
Project: Cave Animal of the Year
Director: Karst Conservation Fund
Project: Post-Bushfire Impacts on caves on Kangaroo Island.
Project: Cave Crickets
Project: White Nose Syndrome
The ASF acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of the land, rivers, and sea on which we live, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge and respect the deep spiritual connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to Country, especially to caves.
email: asf.caves.conservation@gmail.com
