This cache is placed at Maquoketa Caves State Park. Maquoketa Caves is the most unique state park in Iowa because it has 16 different caves that you can walk through or crawl through. Maquoketa Caves is open year-round to hike the trails but if you want to explore the caves you have to come Memorial Day to labor Day, as the caves are closed in the winter due to bat hibernation.
This cache was placed to Save the Bats, Maquoketa Caves has bats and there is a disease called White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) affecting them. Bats are important because a single bat can eat around 1000 insects every hour, they do this all summer and use that food to survive hibernation. When they have WNS its an irritation that disturbs hibernation by waking the bat up too many times and it must find food, it cant so it starves or freezes. To prevent the spread of WNS the DNR has placed green mats for people to walk on to remove the spores of WNS if they go into the Caves and they tell everyone to wipe there items with a clorox wipe and wash there clothes before entering another cave system. By doing this we as humans can help stop the spread of WNS.
The hours of the State Park is 4:30am until 10:30pm year-round. Respect these times. This cache is located near the entrance to Maquoketa Caves along the roadway, PLEASE USE THE PARKING LOT NEAR THE CACHE, PARK AND WALK TO IT TO AVOID CARS PARKED ALONG THE ROADWAY. Use the hint to unlock the box. This cache was placed with permission by the Iowa DNR.